Checkup
by AuroraRose2081
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple checkup. Unfortunately, Hermione Granger finds herself pregnant with a child which doesn't belong to her future husband, and poisoned by Amortentia all in one day. Now she must rethink her relationship with Ronald, and sort out new feelings for his best mate Harry Potter. What could possibly go wrong? Harmony! Slight Ron bashing!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone, I was having some seriously bad plot bunny problems late last night and early this morning, and decided to write this up. Obviously this is a Harmony Soulbond story with some possible Ron bashing, so if you like his character I'm sorry. All deaths are still canon EXCEPT for Dobby who I need alive for this to work. Feel free to leave helpful comments and read on. Thanks.**

Chapter 1: The Checkup

Hermione Jean Granger walked into St. Mungo's that afternoon for a routine checkup and physical. She was 19, and it had been almost four months since the War against Tom Riddle had ended. There were many dead, and many still wounded both mentally and physically, but things had fallen into a routine rather quickly the weeks following the battle. But even with things running so fast by her eyes, Hermione herself felt things were only just starting to get back to normal.  
Ollivander's had opened back up again, as had Gringotts and many of the other stores in Diagon Alley. Hogwarts was once again packed with students, as the tables had been rather empty and sad directly after the war had ended. And the Burrow had been rebuilt to its former glory. Even St. Mungo's seemed a bit more lively, despite it being packed with war victims for the past year and a half,

"Hello, Miss. What can I do for you today?"

Hermione smiled brightly at the Mediwitch behind the desk, hoisting her purse up onto her shoulder a bit unconsciously,

"Hermione Granger? I'm here for my checkup,"

The Mediwitch ruffled around her desk for a moment, looked at a scrawled note and then nodded her head,

"Right. You're appointment is at 2:30?"

Hermione nodded her affirmative as the Mediwitch scrawled her arrival on the sheet with a ballpoint quill,  
"Ok. If you'll just take a seat someone will come to fetch you soon,"

"Thank you,"

The Mediwitch nodded and returned to her paperwork as Hermione took a seat in one of the hard plastic chairs, crossing her bare legs elegantly. She could feel the stares of a few men in the room on her, but she didn't mind giving them a view of her chest as she dipped into her bag (with a handy extension charm) and pulled out a hefty tome. She was to be Mrs. Ronald Weasley in a few days, anyway (not like any other man had ever succeeded in having his way with her). Flipping open the cover, Hermione sat back to enjoy the text.  
She had just gotten of work an hour or so before, and was eternally grateful for the leave she had taken to prepare for the wedding. Since Kingsley had become the Minister for Magic, Half-bloods and Muggleborn's were treated with great respect in Ministry positions, and she was no exception. That, and Kingsley had agreed to give her the days off as long as he got to escort her down the aisle. Though Hermione was saddened that her own father couldn't give her away as she had originally hoped, replacing the memories she had taken from the new Austrian couple would be impossible,

 _'Curse my own thoroughness,'_ Hermione chided inwardly, though it was a phrase she often found herself using when she needed to find a loophole in the plans she herself created. It was only recently that she started manufacturing nearly invisible pathways in her work just in case she did have to sidestep her own protocols at one point,  
 _'But not with Ron,'_ Hermione thought with a smile, glancing at the engagement ring on her finger with a small smile, ' _I want this plan to be as thorough as it gets'  
_  
"Ms. Granger?"

Hermione looked up from her book, seeing a Mediwizard standing in the doorway by the secretary's desk, "my name is Dr. Todd, we're ready for you,"

"Wonderful," Hermione stated, slapping the two halves of her book shut and tucking it back in her purse. Standing, the woman followed the middle aged wizard back to the exam room where he had her remove her jumper and personal objects,

"This shouldn't take a minute, ma'am," Dr. Todd said, pulling out his wand, "please keep still,"

Hermione did as she was told, choosing to think over the reasons she had been looking forward to this checkup. Though not usually something to look forward too, Hermione had started noticing a few things which concerned her. Firstly, she was almost always moody (in a similar manner to Harry during his fifth year at Hogwarts), though Hermione wasn't particularly worried. The amount of sleep she was getting due to extra hours at work would do the trick. Secondly, she was feeling rather sickly. Though mostly at random times during the day, Hermione wasn't particularly worried about this either. She attributed it to stress about work as well as the upcoming wedding. The third thing was her weight gain. Mrs. Weasley had been over the moon as Hermione began to gain some much needed 'meat on her bones' (especially after a year on the run), but the young witch herself wanted to chat with a Mediwizard about possible exercise plans she could use to keep it under wraps,

"If you'll just sit in here a moment, Ms. Granger I'll be right back," Dr. Todd said, holding information in his wand and leaving the room briskly. Sitting on the medical cot, Hermione felt a cold chill seep into her bones. Though she couldn't pinpoint why she was suddenly having such a feeling of dread, her answer was brought by Todd. The look on his face was enough to tell 'The Brightest Witch Of Her Age' something was off,

"Everything alright, doctor?"

"Erm, I'm afraid not Ms. Granger. When was your last formal checkup?"

Knitting her brows, Hermione had to think hard. With the war going on, doing anything normal had been almost impossible,

"Not for a few years I suspect. I believe I had a physical the summer before returning to Hogwarts for my 6th year. Why? Has something come up? If it has I'd like to know about it immediately,"

"Of course, ma'am. But it may be a bit of a shock,"

Hermione pursed her lips and nodded, clutching the edges of the cot in nervousness. She didn't think anything was actually wrong with her! Whatever it was, Hermione wanted to know. Motioning for the Mediwizard to continue, she inhaled as he ran a hand over his dark hair,  
"Well, Mrs. Granger, it appears that you are...pregnant,"

Hermione was, for the lack of a better word, stunned. She had been expecting something else, Wizard Pox or Dragon Rash. Pregnancy wasn't even in her frame of mind,

"P-pregnant?" She managed, blinking unbelievingly at the doctor and leaning forward slightly, "are...are you sure?"

"Yes Ms. Granger. You are almost five months in now. I suspect you've been experiencing mood swings or appetite change? Perhaps even some flu like symptoms,"

"Y-yes," Hermione nodded her head slightly, knitting her brows. How had she not seen it sooner? Everything that had been going on all pointed to pregnancy,  
 _'But we were so careful,'  
_  
"As it appears you had no former knowledge of this happening, Ms. Granger, do you possibly have an idea of when the child could have been conceived? I'm sorry to be so forward but I need to know for my reports-"

"No I understand, you have to ask. I do have an idea of when the child was...conceived. But we were careful to take all the necessary precautions against it,"

Hermione was hurting. The child had been created the last month of the war...when she had been on the run and hunting Horcruxes,

"And, what spells did you use before having intercourse?"

"The usual spells, plus a few extra as we were both...erm...inexperienced at the time,"

"I see. Well...I'm not entirely sure why you have conceived if the necessary precautions were taken against pregnancy, but I'll have to perform a few more tests to be sure. If you don't mind, Ms. Granger, I'd like to have some of my more experienced staff come to examine you, as well as your child to make sure everything is in order,"

"So there's no way around this?" Hermione questioned. She didn't like the thought of killing the human growing inside her, but she was caught completely unaware and in a rather bad spot. Dr. Todd just shook his head,

"I'm afraid not, Ms. Granger. You are too far in, and despite your unawareness in this matter, in the eyes of the Ministry you were a willing participant in the sexual activities which caused the conception,"

"I see," Hermione mumbled, running a hand over her face. This day had just gone from great to terrible in a total of an hour, "is there anything else I should know?"

"Actually...yes," Dr. Todd stated, "I'm afraid it's more bad news,"

"Well spit it out then. I'm sorry for my harshness sir,"

"None taken, Ms. Granger. However, it has come to my attention that there is a good amount of Amortentia in your system. In fact, it's a startlingly large amount, seemingly taken in multiple doses. Did you know of this?"

"N-no, I didn't,"

"Well then, Ms. Granger, I'm afraid this checkup has become a bit more serious. Obviously you know that using love potions on someone without consent is a matter of the law?"

"I do. I suppose Minister Shacklebolt has to get involved now?"

"The Ministry will have to be alerted immediately, yes. This might take some time, so would you like to move into a more suitable room? We obviously have to check on your fetus, and then will work to banish the Amortentia as quickly as possible from your system before it can cause any more harm,"

"I suppose that would be best," Hermione mumbled, holding her head in her hands as she rubbed the sides of her face. Things had just gone from bad to worse, "I think I need to lay down for a while anyway,"

"If you don't mind changing into this gown while I'm gone? I'll have a levitating medical cot brought in,"

"Of course, Dr. Todd, thank you,"

The man nodded slowly, leaving the gown on the exam table as he left the room. Doing as he asked, Hermione changed quickly and shoved her clothing into her bag, letting down her hair from its tight bun as a larger, more comfortable looking bed was brought to her. And even as Hermione lay down and watched the ceiling flit by her eyes as the staff maneuvered her to a new room, she knew one thing for certain. Things were about to get very complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Ministers Auror

Harry James Potter was, to say the least, bored out of his mind. He currently sat in his personal Auror office at the Ministry, feet slung up to rest on the black wood of his pristine desk. Harry never thought himself to be a 'neat freak', but spending so many years around Hermione Granger and the Patil twins seemed to have rubbed off on him. Everything on the desk was in order; his pens were evenly lined up and spaced out, a stack of paperwork sat alphabetized in the pick-up bin at the corner of his desk, and his name plate was spotless. For once in his life, everything was in its place and completed, and Harry had nothing else to do but sit and wander.  
The war had ended four months ago, and Harry had often questioned what he would do when it was actually over. Peaceful nights he often remembered this question and thought about it, as he was raised by Albus Dumbledore to be the savior of the Wizarding World. When it did end, the happiness and excitement didn't come as easily as Harry wanted it too. There were so many dead and so many more unnamed, he simply couldn't celebrate. Yet as the days wore on, the emptiness he felt from having no purpose was driving him mad. So it came as a relief when the newly appointed Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt came to him in need of a personal auror. Of course Harry immediately accepted the position, and was happy to watch as Hermione joined him at the Ministry in the Office of Muggle and Half-Blood affairs and Ron went on to be the star keeper of the (once awful) Chudly Cannons.  
Sadly, his relationship with Ginny Weasley didn't last, but Harry understood. She had found an unexpected romance with Neville Longbottom,

 _'Hermione once told me they were a perfect couple,'_ Harry thought wryly, turning slightly in his chair to open one of his desk drawers. Inside was a pair of circular, wire framed glasses. They had a thin layer of dust on them which Harry carefully wiped away as he observed them. Two months after taking the Auror job, Harry had ditched the glasses for contact lenses. Not only were they actually very inconvenient while tracking on-the-run Death Eaters across the country, but they also acted as a tie to his childhood. The Boy-Who-Lived was now the Man-Who-Conquered, and the glasses were just a reminder of who he used to be,

"Harry!"

Auror instincts in full gear, Harry replaced the glasses in the desk drawer and slammed it shut, standing from his lounging position as his charge, Kingsley, practically burst into the room. His elegant purple robes seemed to fly on their own as Harry frowned at the man's disturbed expression,

"What is it, Kingsley?"

"You need to come with me immediately,"

The Minister for Magic didn't offer any sort of explanation to his top auror as Harry began to think of possible worse case scenarios. Had Azkaban been compromised? We're Death Eaters rebelling? Was the Ministry on fire? All these ideas flew around Harry's mind as he went to the Minister and took hold of his outstretched arm without hesitation, feeling the tug of Apparition behind his navel as they vanished. To his surprise, they weren't at Grimmauld Place, or Azkaban Prison or any other part of the Ministry. No, they were in the long white hallways of St. Mungo's hospital,

"Ah, Minister Shacklebolt, Mr. Potter thank you so much for coming on such short notice. I am Dr. Westshore Todd,"

The Mediwizard addressing them currently was middle aged with dark hair.

 _'He looks like a Ravenclaw,'_ Harry thought to himself, shaking hands with the man when he held out an arm in greeting,

"How is she then?" Kingsley questioned, obviously knowing more about the situation then Harry did at the moment. Dr. Todd nodded slowly, waving both the Minister and his Auror farther down the hall as he spoke,

"I'm afraid we can't be sure as of yet," he stated, "Ms. Granger is currently being taken care of by my best staff,"

 _'Hermione!'  
_  
"Kingsley what happened? Why is Hermione here!"

Harry couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, fists clenching in sudden anger and fear as his neck took on a furious shade of pink. Kingsley took his shoulder firmly as they all stopped. Behind a large glass wall, several members of staff were working diligently. Looking in, Harry frowned at Hermione's sleeping figure under the sheets, wincing every time her body spasmed as a strange, mother of pearl colored liquid was extracted through her mouth and tossed into a nearby jar,  
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked, anger forgotten as his concern for his friend seemed to override everything, "has Ron been informed? And the Weasley's?"

"I'm afraid this incident must remain as confidential as possible, Mr. Potter, as this case is now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry,"

"What?" Harry questioned, "Kingsley?"

"He's right, Harry," The acting Minister nodded and frowned deeply, "Doctor, can you please fill us in on what happened here today?"

"Certainly, Minister," Dr. Todd stated, shoving his hands in his pockets and clearing his throat, "Ms. Granger came in today for a routine checkup. Because of patient confidentially I can't tell you the results of the diagnosis, but, we found something much more startling upon further investigation. It appears Ms. Granger has been poisoned, or is currently being poisoned by an illegal substance known as Amortentia-"

"That's a love potion, isn't it?" Harry questioned, feeling very sickly all of a sudden as he clutched his fists a bit tighter,

"Yes, Mr. Potter. It's the strongest love potion in the world, and is considered a poison in the eyes of the Ministry. The reason it is concerning to me, is the sheer amount of it in Ms. Granger's system. Unlike most other potions which evaporate or pass through the body and disappear, Amortentia remains in the acid of the stomach for a lifetime, sometimes even longer. Based on my findings, I have to say Ms. Granger has been under its influence, non-consensually, for about four to five years,"

"What does that mean for her?" Kingsley questioned, clearly disgusted. Harry himself was having a hard time digesting all the facts, especially since he was suddenly having a bad gut feeling about who had been using the potion all those years,

"Well, in small doses Amortentia can't cause much harm. But in large doses such as this, it can lead to all sorts of problems. Not only does it cause extreme discomfort and pain during certain times of the month, but it can also change appetite causing a loss of weight. Amortentia Poisoning is rare, but if unchecked and in this amount, Ms. Granger could have lost both her mind, as well as her life to it,"

' _Hermione could have died_ ,' Harry thought, leaning forward on his knees as his gut twisted. Amortentia was a love potion, and therefore whomever Hermione 'loved' was under instant scrutiny. Unfortunately, that person happened to be his best mate, and the groom of a wedding happening in four days time,

"You know what this means, Harry?" Kingsley questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder again and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Harry nodded and dropped his face into his palms, rubbing his eyes as a slight groan escaped his lips. Though the procedure was rather simple from a Ministry standpoint, this turn of events would no doubt wreak havoc on his personal life,

"Unfortunately I do. Do all the Weasley's need to be investigated about this?"

"For Hermione's welfare, I think so, just to be safe. Do you have anyone in particular whom is closest to Hermione?"

"Ron, Ginny and Molly are our best bet. Fleur is as well, but we hardly ever see her unless during the Holidays, so I don't know how she would have been distributing the potion,"

"Well we have to start somewhere. Do you wish to stay here?"

Harry nodded his head slightly,

"I almost lost her once in the Department of Mysteries, and again at Malfoy Manor, I'm not letting her out of my sight till I _know_ she's ok,"

"That's my boy," Kingsley stated, patting Harry's shoulder as he turned back to Dr. Todd, "is there anything else before I take my leave?"

"Yes sir, just one more thing. Ms. Granger suspected something before going into surgery and asked me to see it through for her. Mr. Potter, I'd like to scan you if it's no trouble?"

Shaking his head Harry nodded his consent, standing and removing his overcoat and Auror belt as the doctor used his wand for a scan. The frown that creased his face made Harry's heart skip a beat. He wasn't going to like this news, he just knew it.

"It appears, Mr. Potter, that you have had some Amortentia in your system as well. It's a small amount and looks to be old, so I don't have any reason to believe it's a recent dosage."

"Should I have it removed?"

"Not necessary, Mr. Potter," Dr. Todd said with a smile, "it's nothing more than a teaspoon amount. It shouldn't cause you any trouble. Ah, and it looks like my team is finished with their extraction,"

Harry and Kingsley both turned as five or so wizards exited the room looking tired and disheveled. But they were happy to report that all of the Amortentia had been removed, and gave the rather large jar of shimmery white liquid to Kingsley to use as evidence in the investigation,

"You can go in and see her now, if you wish Mr. Potter," Dr. Todd stated, "she should be awakening from the sleeping spell at any moment. Be aware that her mindset will be different then before her arrival, as the Amortentia probably had a large effect on her personality. It should help her to see a familiar face,"

"Right. Thank you doctor for all the help,"

"It was my pleasure, Mr. Potter,"

The men shook hands as Harry turned to enter the room, hearing Kingsley and Todd exchanging goodbyes before the Minister disapparated with some fury. Closing the door behind him, Harry went to Hermione's beside and pulled up a chair, sitting down and taking her hand in his. As he did so, her eyes fluttered open as her head turned slightly. Harry swallowed and pursed his lips,

 _'How is it that even in the worst of times, she always manages to look like an angel?'  
_  
"Harry?" Hermione asked, blinking slowly and squeezing his hand, "what are you doing here?"

Sighing slightly, Harry let loose the weak chuckle of relief he had been holding in,

"Hermione, it's a _very_ long story,"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Discussions

Hermione felt well rested for the first time since the announcement of the wedding. There were no dreams and no nightmares, and there was no stomach or body pain which usually accompanied her slumber due to stress. Instead, she had been happily drifting in a pit of nothingness, with not a single care in the world. However, a slight tug on her hand snapped her out of the useless daze, and pulled her back into an unfortunate reality.  
To her surprise, it wasn't Ron or Molly by the bedside as she was expecting, instead, the Man-Who-Conquered held her hand. Of course, he would always be 'just Harry' to Hermione, who felt touched as well as alarmed at his presence. As the pair stared at each other for a long moment, Hermione was in a half panic, though her face betrayed the feeling,

 _'Did Dr. Todd tell him about the baby? Is he angry at me? Does he still like me?'_

Hermione knew that, even if Harry had been told about her pregnancy, he wouldn't know whom the baby actually belonged too. Dr. Todd had never asked, and even if she did say, Hermione would have gone as far as lying about who she conceived the child with. After all, she was to be married in a few days...was it really that soon? Hermione suppressed her shiver of dread at the thought of marriage and focused her attentions on Harry, who was gazing down at her with an odd expression, one she had never seen on his face. At least not in her presence, anyway.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

"That is a long story Hermione," Harry mumbled, though chucked out of good nature as he patted her hand with his own, "I'm here cause you're here. That, and using Amortentia on someone is a crime,"

"Right," Hermione mumbled, finally remembering why she had fallen asleep in the first place, "I almost forgot about that. So you came with Kingsley?"

Harry nodded his head and finally retracted his hands back into his lap, though Hermione slightly wished they would return to their former position intertwined with hers. Gawking at the mere thought of what had just come to mind, Hermione knitted her brows together in concentration,  
 _'I've never thought about Harry like that. What's wrong with me? I'm engaged to Ron. Ron. Ron.'_

"Dr. Todd said you'd be feeling different when you woke up. Are you...er...ok?"

Hermione chuckled at Harry's awkward attempts at comforting her as she nodded her head, ignoring the little tug of disgust in the very pit of her stomach. Though, that might have just been the sudden hunger which overtook her senses. It was a dull ache, like she hadn't eaten in months. That same familiar feeling of starvation like when they had all been on the run together,

"I'm hungry," Hermione stated suddenly, not bothering to hide her smile as Harry threw back his head and laughed. She did enjoy the brightness of his face, she didn't get to see it much. Especially in the past few years,  
 _'Earth to Hermy. Remember Ron? Your betrothed?'  
_ Hermione pushed the little voice away as she focused on Harry, noticing he was missing a telltale feature of his. Those silly glasses had practically been welded to his face during Hogwarts, but once school was over, off they came. Harry looked much more attractive without them, if Hermione was being perfectly honest with herself. It allowed her to see his clear, sharp green eyes better,

"Wait here for a sec,"

Hermione nodded, shifting herself to sit up as Harry leaned out of the room and talked to someone who must have been in the hall. This gave the woman a clear view of his backside, causing her heart to stutter,  
 _'Ron certainly doesn't have an arse like that,'_

Looking up as Harry turned back and smiled at her, she smiled back as he came and took up his seat beside her again. It's then Hermione remembered the request she had given Dr. Todd before going into surgery, and the hunch she had about where the Amortentia had come from,

"Harry, did Dr. Todd scan you? I asked him to before I went under,"

To her relief, Harry nodded his head and leaned on his knees in (what Hermione thought was) a very intellectual manner. He looked good like that,

"Yeah. There was some Amortentia in my system too. But nothing new, and only a small amount of it,"

"How much did they pull out of me?" Hermione questioned, realizing the new lightness of her gut, ignoring for now the added weight of her growing child,

"Bout four years worth of the stuff, it filled an entire jar,"

Hermione was disgusted, twisting her lip slightly as she thought of the potion sloshing around inside her for years. She knew the properties of Amortentia, and knew that she had been very lucky if what Harry told her was true, which she knew it was,

"I'm guessing then, you've caught onto my suspicions?"

"About who might have done this? Yeah, unfortunately," it was Harry's turn to twist a lip as he set is jaw in a very attractive manner,

 _'Hermione stop it! You are engaged! To the man of your dreams!'  
_  
"A man who poisoned me to love him, more like it," Hermione mumbled, sighing heavily as Harry looked at her, "I just...don't want to believe it's true," she stated, "I mean with everything that's going on, my parents, the wedding..."

"I know. What petty git would use a love potion to illegally seduce a woman? That's just...its...sick. He didn't, do anything to you, did he?"

Hermione shook her head, looking at her hands slightly,

"No. He wanted too, but I didn't feel it was time. I wanted to save it till after the wedding,"

 _'Hypocrite! Congrats, Hermy, you're pregnant!'_

Hermione wanted to punch her consciousness in the face. But her anger was redirected as Harry sighed and sat back in his chair. He was in a business mode now, Hermione could tell. He would sit back, steeple his fingers like Dumbledore used too and would just lay all his cards on the table at once,

"So, at this moment in time we know that the Weasley's are our top suspects at this point. I'm guessing Ron, Ginny and Molly had access to both of us the most, but if the Amortentia was given to you during our year on the run, Ron is looking like a pretty solid lead. Kingsley and I both believe it's best if you stay away from all of them for the time being, until they can either be found guilty of smuggling illegal Amortentia for use, or are proven innocent in which things can go back to normal,"

"I don't think _anything_ will be normal after this, Mr. Potter," Hermione mumbled with a well placed eye roll, "what about the wedding?"

"Hopefully it doesn't have to be canceled. But for now, plan on rescheduling. Obviously the Ministry is willing to help with room and board until the investigation is completed, but you are welcome to come say with me at Grimmauld Place. I'd love the company,"

"Certainly you have a girlfriend, don't you? I'd think the Man-Who-Conquered would have all kinds of women fawning for his attentions?"

Harry laughed again at that statement, shaking his head and running a hand over his mock of dark hair,

"Definitely not. I haven't dated anyone since Ginny. Anyway, it gets pretty lonely and I'd love to be with you more. We don't get to see each other much,"

"That we don't. Too bad it couldn't be under better circumstances,"

"So that's a yes on Grimmauld Place?"

"Of course, Harry. I'd love to stay," Hermione stated with a smile, "but I'd need to go check in with Kingsley about the investigation, and then I'd like to drop by Hogwarts to speak with Professor McGonagall. Did you know we're pen pals?"

Harry shook his head,

"No, I didn't know that,"

There was laughter from both parties as the room door opened wide and Dr. Todd entered. He smiled and greeted Harry before turning to Hermione,

"How are you feeling then, Ms. Granger? It seems Mr. Potter has you in good spirits,"

"That he does," Hermione stated, taking Harry's hand in her own and squeezing it lightly. To her surprise, he squeezed back and didn't let go as Dr. Todd continued speaking,

"Well that's good. You should feel a bit better now that the Amortentia is out of your system. We'll keep you here for another hour or so to get you fed and on fluids till you're back up nutrition wise. We'd also like to watch your mental state and do some more tests to check on _other_ aspects of your health,"

Dr. Todd looked at Hermione pointedly as she nodded. He was worried about how the Amortentia affected the baby's health. And if she were being honest, she was too,

"Of course," Hermione stated with a smile, "then I'll be free to go?"

"Yep. If your health is good, I'll have no reason to keep you here overnight. I'm sure Mr. Potter has talked to you about possible living arrangements?"

Both Hermione and Harry nodded affirmative as Dr. Todd smiled again in understanding,

"Right then. I'll have you scheduled in sometime in the next few months for another checkup. Hopefully that one goes with a few less surprises then this one,"

"I hope so," Hermione mumbled, perking up slightly as a Mediwitch appeared in the doorway, rolling a rather large cart of food into the room. Laughing slightly, Dr. Todd nodded his head,

"I think it's time for your lunch, Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter, I do believe visiting hours are over for this afternoon. I'll be sure to send an Owl when it's time for Ms. Granger's pickup,"

"Sure thing. You'll be ok while I'm gone, 'Mione?"

"Pfft, you're not leaving me to go kill off a dark wizard, are you Harry? I'll be fine,"

Harry nodded and stood, leaning down close to whisper in Hermione's ear,

"Hospital food is gross. I'll make some real food for when you come home tonight,"

Pulling back, Hermione nodded slightly and watched the man leave with Dr. Todd. Tucking into the meal which was brought to her, Hermione couldn't help but smile dreamily. Harry smelled like sea salt, ink and wood chips. At least it wasn't spearmint toothpaste.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Arrival

For once since the end of the war, Harry Potter felt excited. He practically paced back and forth behind his desk, unable to contain his joy nor his broad smile as he wore a soft spot in the wood floor. Though it was awful that Hermione had been condemned to the hospital for a few more hours for various testing, and there was a chance the Weasley's had betrayed them, Harry still couldn't help himself. He had seriously taken Hermione's constant presence for granted during school and on the run. To his teenage mind, she had just been a 'best friend'. But to Harry now, she acted more as an anchor to his life than any other person.  
The more he thought about it, the more Harry understood how important she actually was in defeating Tom. Hermione was one of his first true friends at Hogwarts, and was quick to defend his honor and go to fetch the Philosopher's Stone with him their first year. And other then the devastation Harry felt at her sitting petrified in the Hospital Wing for months during second year, she had always been there. Hermione helped save Sirius, and was the only one who stood by him during the Tri-Wizard Tournament (plus Neville of course). She willingly took on Umbridge and raced to the Ministry where she was almost killed. And despite Harry giving her hell the year before they went on the run, she still managed to get some sense through his own thick skull.  
Even while on the run, with the entire Wizarding World after them, Hermione Granger stood by him against the wrath of Ronald Weasley. She had been heartbroken, depressed, starved and now poisoned. And Harry was eternally grateful for his best friend. Now it was his time to make it up to her. Obviously letting her stay at Grimmauld Place didn't even compare to what she'd done for him in the past, but it was a start. He wanted to make her stay the best he could, and that meant cleaning up the house. And though Harry could certainly just call Dobby, Winky or Kreature to tidy for him, he wanted to do things the Muggle way, which would make it all the more worthwhile,

"Harry Potter, would you please stop pacing? You're wearing a hole in my floor,"

Harry glanced up from his wandering, smiling at Kingsley as he stood in the office doorway,

"Hello, Minister. How'd you know I was pacing?"

"This little trinket you gave me is very useful in checking up on my employees,"

Kingsley held up a sheet of folded parchment as Harry chuckled and held the back of his head in embarrassment. Living in Grimmauld Place after graduation, Harry had found a journal Sirius had kept during his time at Hogwarts. It detailed all their Marauder adventures, including the step by step creation of the Marauder's Map. Feeling it was a useful item, Harry made one for Kingsley to watch the goings on of his employees in the Ministry. Harry himself often used the Map to check in on Hermione in the late hours when she overstayed her nights and forced Harry to kick her out. Kingsley must have seen him pacing on the map and came in to investigate,

"Sorry, I guess I'm just antsy,"

"It's no trouble if you want to take the rest of the day, Harry. I'm glad Hermione won't be staying around those awful people until this matter is resolved,"

"What's gone on so far in the investigation?"

Kingsley sighed deeply and strode in, taking a graceful seat on the edge of Harry's desk as his purple robes flowed about slightly,

"I sent Auror's out to question Bill and Fleur Weasley, and I'm happy to report that nothing that even resembled Amortentia was found at Shell Cottage. In fact it appears that Fleur is actually highly allergic to some of its properties due to her Veela descent,"

"That's good, I always knew Fleur couldn't do something like that to Hermione,"

"Ah, both were very alarmed at the news. I do believe Fleur's exact words were, _'if I ever find who did thiz to my little zister, I vill wring zhere necks!'_

Harry chucked at Kingsley's (particularly good) imitation of Fleur's accent and nodded in acceptance. He knew Fleur and Hermione had gotten close after the Tri-Wizard Tournament, especially with her new induction to the Weasley family during such a hard time. But Hermione would surely be over the moon that the pretty French half-veela considered her a sister,

"You didn't tell them who else we were questioning, did you?"

Kingsley shook his head,

"No. But both are smart, and I'm guessing they'll figure it out eventually,"

"Right. Who's next on the list?"

"The main Weasley residence I believe. Molly will surely put up a fight to the search, but it's against Ministry policy to lie about why a household is being ransacked. Anyway, that's not really any of your business, now is it Harry? Don't you have a household to prepare?"

Realizing he had been wasting time, Harry cursed and nodded to Kingsley before rapidly Diapparating to the street outside Grimmauld Place. With the wards still up he couldn't just apparate right in which irked him at times, but it was better then not being safe if Death Eaters or some other threat was to show up at his door. Entering the apartment which appeared on command, Harry hurried inside, catching Winky in his arms whom had fallen off a ladder in shock at his appearance,

"Master Harry," the female elf exclaimed, bug eyes wide as the man let her gently back down to the floor, "what are you doing here?"

"I have the rest of the day off, and we have a lot of work to do to prepare. Dobby! Kreature!"

There were two distinct cracks as the two other House Elves appeared, Kreature looking a tad more irked at being disturbed from whatever it was he had been doing,

"Harry Potter has returned home early! Welcome back, sir,"

The one legged House Elf Dobby was gleaming with joy. Even if Bellatrix had cost him a limb, it didn't hinder Dobby's spirit any more than it did his maneuverability on a wooden peg,

"Yes, but I have a guest coming to stay the night and I need this House spotless and...perhaps less gloomy? Kreature, Winky, do you think you can take care of the rest of the house while Dobby and I take care of the bedroom?"

There were nods of agreement as two bodies left the hall, leaving only Dobby and Harry,

"What can I do, Harry Potter?"

"Come with me real quick, Dobby. You remember my friend Hermione, don't you?"

"Yes, the bushy haired one who angered all the elves at Hogwarts?"

"That's the one. She's our guest and I want to make her stay here as comfortable as possible," Harry led Dobby through to the Black family library, which was cleaned of dust but was still very dark and ominous, "I need your help converting this library into a good bedroom for her,"

"Of course, Dobby likes the Mistress Granger very much. Stand back,"

Nodding his head, Harry stepped into the library doorway as Dobby held out his skeleton hands in concentration. He then began snapping his fingers, Harry watching as a fireplace appeared and began burning against the far wall, while two large rectangle windows appeared in the other. This let natural light into the room as an attached bathroom appeared (fitted with a claw foot tub), and the old library furniture was replaced with new bedroom furniture. This included a four poster bed with Ravenclaw blue sheets, and the same colored love seat and chairs set about the fireplace. There was also a large mirror and vanity, wardrobe, and a good sized desk which Harry himself wanted the pleasure of filling. For the final touch, Dobby had the guile to appear a large portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw above the fireplace,

"What a painting," Harry breathed, looking at the the woman carefully, "she looks similar to Helena. You know, the grey lady at Hogwarts?"

"That's because, Mr. Potter, Helena is my daughter and Heir,"

Jumping back slightly, Harry beamed as the woman in the portrait smiled at him and looked around dazedly,

"This doesn't look like Hogwarts," she said questioningly, though not unhappily, "but then again, I haven't seen the halls of the castle in years,"

"Dobby found the Lady Ravenclaw's portrait in the come and go room while cleaning," Dobby explained, "Dobby thought the Mistress Granger would like more company,"

"I'm sure she'll love it," Harry said, turning back to the painting who was now looking at him curiously, "my friend is going to be staying in this room for a while. She was almost sorted into your house when she was 11, you don't mind keeping her company do you?"

"Of course not, Mr. Potter, I'm quite honored to be adorning the walls of your home,"

"Thank you,"

Just then, Harry heard a tapping at the kitchen window around the staircase. Hurrying from the library-now-bedroom, a large brown white owl was sitting on the sill with a letter. Around it's neck was a medallion with a cross on it, meaning it was from St. Mungo's. Turning to Dobby who had followed him into the kitchen, Harry showed him the letter,  
"I need to go pick up Hermione from the hospital. She might want to come right back here, but knowing her might want to run some errands before coming back as well. Do you think you can get the house ready before then?"

"Of course, sir. We are Elves,"

"I never doubted that, Dobby. I'll be back soon,"

Smiling and waving to his Elf friend who disappeared with a snap, Harry stepped into his fireplace and Flooed back to St. Mungo's. A nurse came to greet him upon arrival, and took him to where Hermione was waiting in a small, quiet room. She looked a bit more pale than normal, and she had dark circles under her eyes from all the excitement, but she otherwise looked unharmed. She was dressed in a very loose grey sweater and jeans which were obviously borrowed from the Hospital, as well as a pair of oversized runners,

"Harry," she greeted, accepting his light hug as she groaned ever so lightly.

'She smells like rolled parchment,' Harry thought, inhaling deeply as he reminisced, 'parchment with winter air and vanilla,'

"It's good to see you up again, Hermione," Harry said, pulling back from his friend to look into her dark, hypnotizing eyes, "you're the boss, what's the plan?"

"Mm, I'm very tired, Harry. Today has been a bit...trying. I'd like it if we just returned to Grimmauld Place tonight and ordered out?"

Harry nodded and looped an arm through Hermione's, who leaned on him slightly as she was still a bit dehydrated from the testing,

"You'll love what I've done with the place, Mia," Harry said, taking a hand of Floo powder and smiling. It was good to have Hermione in his arms again.


	5. Chapter 5

hapter 5: Girl Talk

Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, had no idea how to handle her current situation. It had only just reached first light at Grimmauld Place, and the 19 year old witch was already up and pacing back and forth before the fireplace. Even the soothing scent of cinders and parchment couldn't calm her nerves, as her hand came to unconsciously sit upon the bump that was her stomach. She didn't have a lot of time before people started to notice, as being pregnant was kind of difficult to hide (just ask Fleur). Dr. Todd had been fairly positive that her recent poisoning hadn't affected the health or welfare of the baby, though he wanted her in for another checkup just to be sure. Hermione had agreed, but now had to find a way to tell everyone.  
It would have been easy to announce that the child belonged to Ron, but there were several large flaws with that plan.  
One, she and Ron had never gone past a loving touch or snog. Being Ronald Weasley though, Hermione was positive he wouldn't even remember they never had sex before. The second problem didn't come about till _after_ the child was born. Hermione knew - pertaining to biology anyway - certain traits would crop up that did not belong to the overpowering Weasley genetics. Hermione could get lucky and the child would inherit her mother's strawberry blonde locks, but that wouldn't keep the baby from having the dominant green eyes of his or her father. And lastly, Hermione wasn't sure she loved Ron in the first place. Before the trip to St. Mungo's there hadn't been a shred of doubt in her mind of whom she wanted to marry. Ronald Weasley had been her knight in shining armor, and had even ridden a very masculine looking horse during their first year in school. But now, after knowing she had been poisoned with Amortentia, and it had been keyed to one specific ginger in particular, Hermione was starting to doubt herself.

 _'Todd said the potion had been in my system since my fourth year at Hogwarts,_ ' Hermione thought, counting off years on her fingers and recalling the events of said year, _'which means any sort of attraction would have occurred before or during the Tri-Wizard Tournament_ ,'

Hermione knit her brows, stopping her pacing to plop wistfully down into one of the blue sofas with a huff. She did have feelings for Ron before her fourth year, she just couldn't quite remember if they had been feelings of attraction or friendship. She certainly respected Ron as a friend, now more than ever that her brain was a bit clearer. But now she was truly questioning her relationship, as well as the wedding and unbreakable vows she were to take as soon as the investigation was complete,

"Do you really think Ron could do such a thing to me?" Hermione asked, looking to Rowena who was sitting above the fireplace. The beautiful woman shook her head,

"People do odd and sometimes vain things in the sake of love. Salazar built an entire chamber at Hogwarts to try and impress me,"

"You mean the Chamber of Secrets was built...because he wanted to get your attention?"

The Ravenclaw woman nodded her head wistfully,

"Yes, it was very romantic. Unfortunately he allowed that blasted snake of his to live down there as well. It kind of killed the mood,"

"No kidding," Hermione mumbled, leaning over the back of the sofa's arm as she sprawled out on the cushions, "I'm just not sure where I stand now. Should I love Ron? Or should I distrust him?"

"All will be clear in time, my dear," Rowena stated, "but don't take for granted your resources, especially with a child on the way. I assure you, having an Heir changes everything,"

"I suppose so, thank you. I think I'll go tell Harry I'm leaving and go over to Hogwarts,"

"Say hello to Minerva for me,"

Nodding an affirmative, Hermione pulled her mass of caramel brunette curls into a messy bun before leaving her chambers. It was very kind of Harry to transform the Black Family library into her own personal sanctuary, even better that he finally decided to something with the gloom that was Grimmauld Place. Finding the Man-Who-Conquered working in the kitchen, Hermione lifted a lip slightly,  
"Good morning, Harry,"

"Hey Hermione. Looks like you're feeling better?"

The shaggy haired man hadn't even changed out of his nightwear yet, gliding around the kitchen in striped PJ's which Hermione swore he wore during first year. There was a slight shadow of stubble on his square jaw, his black mock was unkempt, and he actually had his glasses haphazardly resting on his face. Hermione struggled to suppress a giggle at the sight,

"I just came to say goodbye. I think I want to drop into Hogwarts to speak with Minerva about... _things_ ,"

Harry blinked his large green eyes before nodding,

"Sure, but you should eat first. Eggs and bacon, toast and orange juice. You finish it all, then you can leave,"

Hermione sat down at the long empty table, watching as a plate piled high with food was placed before her. And although her stomach grumbled in anticipation, Hermione resisted out of habit. After all, having any sort of appetite was new, especially after so many reoccurring days of morning sickness,

"All of it, Harry?"

"All of it, Granger. You're still looking gaunt, and you have to look your best when we take a visit to the Ministry later today,"

Hermione was about to complain when her stomach grumbled again and she tucked in silently. The food was delicious, and Hermione savored every bite.  
' _I knew Harry learned to cook during his time with the Dursley's, but this is ridiculous,_ '

Hermione smiled, thinking of her own lack of cooking skills. She could make any potion imaginable, and surpass both Snape and Slughorn's expectations, but for the life of her she would never make an edible meal. During her time at the Ministry her diet mainly included frozen muggle dinners and cup-o-noodles. Smirking as Harry picked up her empty plate, Hermione went and hugged him from behind,

"Thanks for breakfast. I don't know when I'll be back so don't wait up for me,"

 _'Has Harry always been this worked? Must be his Auror training,'  
_  
Pulling away and blushing ferociously, Hermione swept up her bag and hauled it onto a shoulder, stepping into the floo. Uttering _'Hogwarts'_ as well as a key word to get herself past the wards of the school, Hermione found herself stepping out into the office of the Headmistress. McGonagall herself had been sitting at her desk, and smiled as Hermione exited her fireplace and dusted the ash and soot off her clothing,

"Hermione, dear. I wasn't expecting a visit from you today,"

"Minerva, I'm sorry for the interruption but I didn't know where else to go," Hermione gratefully took her favorite Professor into a hug, relishing in the compassionate embrace as Minerva smiled at her,

"Well you can tell me all about it over a spot of Earl Grey,"

And they did just that. It felt like hours of chatter as Hermione recalled all the events which happened leading up to her checkup at St. Mungo's. McGongall had gone from excited about the wedding to concerned about Hermione's health in less than two minutes, and was as equally curious about the Ministry's investigation in the matter. Hermione didn't fail to mention she was staying with Harry and Grimmauld Place, and had come to the very end of the conversation when she decided to let loose her best kept secret,

"Minerva there's...one more thing,"

Her hesitation was clear enough for the Hogwart's headmistress to set down her teacup with a small clatter and move to take up a spot beside her former student on the sofa. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, Hermione felt safe enough to let the tears slip from her eyes,  
"I-I'm pregnant,"

"Oh, well dear shouldn't you be happy? It may be a bit odd before the marriage but-"

"No, Minerva you don't quite get it," Hermione sniffled, lifting her chin up to meet her teachers eyes determinedly, "the baby isn't Ron's,"

McGonagall was shocked into silence, unsure of what to say as Hermione looked the other way to swallow her tears and regain her composure,

'Come on Hermy, you stood with Harry through everything else, why not this?'

"I...I think the baby is Harry's,"

Minerva was in shocked silence for another moment before shaking out of her daze,

"How?"

Hermione choked again as she accepted the handkerchief Minerva was offering to her, blowing her nose loudly as she tried to recall exactly what had happened that night. She had been so distressed about Ron leaving, and Harry was there and for some reason they just...connected,

"We were on the run, hunting horcruxes and dodging snatchers. We had just escaped the Ministry and tensions were running pretty high. Ron saw Harry and I together one night and he just...snapped. He fought with Harry, yelled that we were betraying him and left. I was expecting him to come back, to apologize or something because it was Salazar's locket giving him bad thoughts. But he didn't. I was so angry and sad, and I wasn't eating. Harry was getting worried so he offered to...well, no it was actually my idea. He wanted to help and I asked him to...spend the night with me. It was so out of character of me but I just wanted the relief, cause I was hurting. I cast all the spells, everything that could prevent conception. But it still happened and now I'm bloody screwed!"

Hermione held her face in her hands as she finished, chest aching as the dry sobs racked her form. Minerva wasted no time in comforting her, though Hermione knew even she didn't quite know what to do next,

"I just needed to tell somebody," Hermione croaked, "what am I going to do?"

"Well, this is a bit out of my expertise I'm afraid. But I think the best thing you can do is take a page out of the Hufflepuff book of knowledge and tell the truth. To both parties,"

"Ron will certainly never forgive me. I chose his best friend over him! How can he ever take me after that?"

"Well I'm not sure, but it sounds like Mr. Weasley has already committed a serious offense against you,"

Hermione blinked and turned slowly, seeing the face of the headmistress older and more downtrodden than usual. Knitting her brows, Hermione clenched her fists in nervousness,

"Are you saying I shouldn't marry him?"

"I'm saying that you have a choice," Minerva mumbled, Scottish roll quiet as the two women sat with cold tea and tears in their eyes, looking into the burning fireplace as they both sighed deeply. Why did things have to get so complicated?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It was brought up in the comments that Hermione could possibly be charged with something called 'Line Fraud'. To be perfectly honest I have never heard of it, and therefore have no intention of using it in the story as I'm unaware of what it entails specifically. HOWEVER I would like to know what it is for future reference, possibly for even this story if it becomes blatantly clear. Thanks for bringing it up, and I'd love some feedback from you all.**

Chapter 6: Love and Lies

"Minister, are you sure it's smart for me to be here?"

Harry and Kingsley walked side by side, ignoring the hot summer sun which blazed down on both of them as they strode towards the Burrow. The odd home of the Weasley family had been fully rebuilt after the War, and was even bigger than ever as rooms had been added and expanded as the children married and returned with grandchildren,

 _'It thrilled Molly when Fleur said she was pregnant,'_ Harry thought with a smile, remembering the look on the pudgy woman's face as she was told the news. Harry then frowned deeply, _'surely Molly wouldn't encourage using illegal Amortentia on Hermione?'_

As if reading his mind, (which was possible cause of Legitimacy) Kingsley gave his top Auror a squeeze of the shoulder,

"Ah Harry, even as the Minister, Molly Weasley will not appreciate me barging in here to accuse her of poisoning someone. I don't want to believe it was Molly any more than you do, but you'll be my backup, to keep her and the others busy, yeah?"

"So I'm a distraction?" Harry wasn't sure if he should have felt honored or alarmed at this realization. Shrugging slightly as they got to the top stoop, Kingsley reached out and rapped on the door. It opened almost immediately, the freckled, impish face of Ginny Weasley coming into view,

 _'She cut her hair,'_ Harry noticed immediately, choosing to smile at the young woman stupidly. Ginny and him parted ways on good terms in the middle of 6th year, as they had barely been dating for a month before Ginny admitted to liking Neville. Harry was a bit hurt at the time, but realized that was either an after effect of teenage hormones, or the Amortentia in his system. Obviously the Ministry couldn't be positive as to who the poison was actually keyed, since it was an untraceable brand,

' _Just another reason for the stuff to be banned,_ ' Harry thought, watching as his ex-girlfriends-now-friends face flashed with recognition, but soon fell in disappointment,

"Harry, Kingsley," she greeted, though sounded a bit downtrodden, "I was expecting Hermione. Have you heard from her?"

"I think you should invite us in, Ginerva," Kingsley said with a warm smile, watching as Ginny blinked before realizing her lack of manners and stepped aside hurriedly. The Burrow was just as Harry remembered it, as it looked nearly identical to what it had been during the ending months before he left on the run. Harry hadn't returned for many different reasons, one of them being the loss of Fred, the other being his intense Auror training right after the battle,

"Where is everybody?" Harry questioned, looking around and noticing the lack of people making noise in the house. Ginny turned about slightly, pointing around as to place everyone in a specific area,

"Well Mum is in the kitchen and Ron is upstairs," Ginny looked pointedly at Harry before continuing, "George is working at WWW with Angelina, and I think dad is at the Ministry? Obviously Charlie is in Romania, Bill is with Fleur and Percy is working today with father. And then, obviously I'm here," Ginny giggled slightly at that before pushing her now short hair behind her ear, only to have it fall uselessly back to cover her cheek. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by Molly's voice from the kitchen,

"Ginny? Who's here-Harry! My boy!"

Harry groaned a bit as he was suddenly squeezed by the Weasley woman, unable to help the smile which spread across his face at the comforting touch. He always liked Molly, as she had been a surrogate mother to him since their meeting on Platform 9 3/4.

 _'How could she possibly poison Hermione?'_

"Sorry for barging in like this Molly, but Harry and I have some news,"

Molly stared at the pair confusedly for a moment before realization seemed to hit her like a bludger to the head,

"Right, we are all so worried about Hermione, the dear. I'll make us a spot of Earl Grey and then we can chat? You two get comfortable, Ginny can you come help me?"

"Sure mum,"

As the two redheads left the room, Harry quirked an eyebrow. He had known Mrs. Weasley since he was 11, and she hadn't once forgotten about where one of her charges was. Molly had an uncanny ability to know where everyone was, despite them not being blood related,

"Mrs. Weasley seemed confused," Harry mumbled out loud, causing Kingsley to glance at him as they moved towards the mismatched sofas, "obviously she knew about Hermione's disappearance? How can she not be overly concerned about her daughter-in-laws welfare?"

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"I mean, I would have expected more of a reaction like Ginny's, instant concern,"

Kingsley seemed to mule the fact over as Molly reappeared in the sitting room with the tea. While she wasn't looking, Harry ran a finger around the rim of the China, happy to find that no mother-of-pearl colored liquid was left on his finger. He turned back to the Weasley women however as Ginny broke the silence. Her genuine nervousness soothed Harry's worries about her involvement, but that didn't count her out of the circle as there was Amortentia in his own body, as well as Hermione's

"What's the news, Harry? Is Hermione alight?"

"She's fine, Ginny. It's lucky that she went to the doctor when she did,"

At that point, Harry and Kingsley both recalled the events of the past few days, leaving out more incriminating details. With a broad idea of the investigation, both redheads looked appalled, Ginny more then her mother,

"That's simply awful. Does that mean Hermione isn't coming home?"

"She'll come home once we find out who did this," Kingsley said softly, patting her knee as Harry glanced at Mrs. Weasley. Though her paleness showed, Harry wasn't sure if it was because of shock, or guilt. Her concern for Hermione wasn't very convincing, especially to Harry whom had plenty of experience with her 'mother hen' affections,

 _'No wonder Kingsley wanted me here,'_ Harry thought, knitting his brows as Kingsley summed up the investigation, _'he doesn't know Mrs. Weasley like I do,'_

"Well, this is simply is awful," Molly repeated, breaking Harry from his thoughts as she set her tea and saucer down with trembling hands, "Harry dear, you should probably go tell Ronald about this. He'll want to know. I'll stay here with Kingsley and do anything I can to aid in the investigation,"

Glancing at the Minister, Kingsley nodded as Harry stood from the sofa and flatted his pants. On his way towards the stairs, he caught Ginny's eye. She was no longer fretting with fear, but was instead in perturbed contemplation,

 _'She's probably drawing the same conclusions we did,'_ Harry thought, heading up the stairs towards where Molly said Ron and Hermione's shared bedroom was. Finding the appropriate door partially opened, Harry saw Ron on the bed, reading a Quidditch magazine. His clothing was all over the place, and the walls were covered in posters and memorabilia from Ron's career. However, if anyone knew Hermione Granger, they knew she had to have at least one bookcase in every room. And as far as Harry knew, the Burrow didn't have any sort of library,

' _Hermione wouldn't settle without adequate reading materials_ ,' Harry thought with a frown, ' _it doesn't even look like she actually lived in this room at all?'_

"Ahem?"

Ron glanced up from his magazine, his face instantly alight with a smile upon seeing Harry. Throwing his read aside and going to his friend, the two embraced,

"Oi, good to see you, mate. Didn't know you'd be stopping by today,"

 _'The bedroom door was halfway open, Ron would have heard Kingsley and I downstairs,'_

"This was a more unexpected visit. I have some good news though,"

Unfortunately, Ron had the same reaction as Molly did to that statement. He looked a bit confused at first, before realization dawned on him and Ron's face contorted into one of false concern,

"Right, Hermione. She's ok, isn't she? When is she coming home?"

Slightly irked with his best friend, Harry clenched his fists by his sides,

"She was poisoned. The doctor said she got lucky,"

"Oh, that's terrible," Ron said, sinking down into the edge of the bed and leaning on his knees, "hafta think this is my fault,"

"What?"

Harry lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Ronald Weasley very rarely admitted to being wrong, let alone admitting that any bad situation was 'his fault'. The ginger man nodded slightly and ran a hand through his hair,

"Yeah, mate. See, a few nights ago, 'Mione and I had a little quarrel. It was a stupid fight really, but she got her knickers in a bunch about it and kicked me out of the bedroom for the night. Cruel irony, huh? My fiancé getting poisoned..."

"What happened after the fight?"

"Well I did the usual thing. Made her a spot of Grey tea or whatever she likes while she cooled down, then we made up,"

"Just like that?" Harry questioned, frowning deeply. Ron nodded and stood, leaning against the bedpost as he scratched his bare chest,

"Yeah, you know Hermione. Always getting angry about the little things. Tea always makes her come' round. 'Specially when _I_ make it for her. It's manly,"

Ron pounded his chest with his fists as Harry chuckled uncomfortably and nodded. He needed to talk to Kingsley,

"Right. Well, I just wanted to tell you the news. I'll keep you posted if anything else comes up,"

"Yeah, thanks for coming mate. Make sure she gets home safe, right? I can't live without that know-it-all ya' know,"

"Yep. Good to see you Ron,",

Harry turned and left the bedroom, hearing Ron's form plop back down onto the bed. The frown once again returning to his face, Harry turned when footsteps came up the stairs. Ginny was there, and she looked utterly disturbed. Walking by her ex, Ginny closed her fist around Harry's wrist, pulling him into a nearby room and closing the door quickly,

"Gin?"

Ginny didn't answer, instead choosing to throw up some silencing charms as her face contorted into one of sadness and she began to cry,

"Harry. I know...I know who did it,"

"Yeah, us too," Harry said, taking Ginny into his arms and holding her as she cried into his chest,

"I can't believe it, but yet...it makes so much sense,"

"Gin?"

Harry let the redhead pull away from him as she began to pace, face blotchy from crying as she held a hand to her forehead,

 _'She knows something we don't,_ ' Harry thought immediately, sitting on the nearby storage box as Ginny summoned up her Gryffindor courage. Finally, she began to speak,

"It was the summer before 6th year. I was looking for some nail polish and found an odd vial of...something, in mums vanity in her bedroom. The bottle didn't hold very much, so I took it thinking she wouldn't notice. Since I liked the color, I turned the little bottle into a necklace and was wearing it around for awhile. I guess Ron saw it at some point and got absolutely furious that I was wearing it, and was questioning where I got it. Obviously I told him it 'wasn't his business' and ran off. But then, then, a few days later I was with the twins and they saw the vial-"

"They told you what it was?"

Ginny nodded, raking her fingers furiously through her hair as she inhaled deeply,

"Uh-huh. They told me it was a love potion used to get someone I fancied to notice me. I didn't know if they were telling the truth or just pulling my leg, and I wanted to try it out so...so I..."

Harry understood as he nodded his head and sat back against the footboard,

"You slipped it into something I drank?"

"Yes. Harry I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry I didn't know what I was doing or what it was. I got so excited that you liked me and...Merlin, I don't want to go to Azkaban!"

"Ginny, you aren't going to go to Azkaban," Harry said tightly. Both Molly and Ron had climbed higher on the list of suspects, even more than they were before, "what you just told me is priceless information to this investigation. But...we can't be too sure. Can you come to the Ministry when you can get away and submit an official report and Pensive? I want the story on record,"

"Of course, Harry," Ginny stated, beginning to cry again as she sat on the edge of the bed, holding a hand to her face, "I just want Hermione safe. I want my sister safe,"

"Don't worry Gin, the Ministry isn't going to stop till this is solved. Hermione can come home soon,"

Sitting together in the guest bedroom, Harry slung an arm around Ginny's shoulders as she cried herself out, his jaw set as he glared into the nearby wall,

 _'I will not let anything happen to Hermione,'_ He thought, clenching a free fist against his leg, ' _never again,'_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Battle Scars and Pensieves

• " _Ron!"_

 _Hermione looked to Harry, who had set his jaw angrily, and had fire in his eyes. Whipping around to exit the tent, Hermione ran after the disappearing figure,_

 _"Ron! Come back! Ron!"_

 _No amount of her shouting could get his attention as he pounded through the cold leaves in the forest, passing through the invisible walls around the tent before disapperating. Hermione stopped inside the disillusionment bubble, falling to her knees on the ground as she looked at where the love of her life had just vanished. He had just up and left...he didn't even look at her,  
"...Ron..."_

 _It was a croaked phrase as tears flowed down Hermione's cheeks, melting the slight frost which had settled on the leaves below her as she sobbed painfully. It was Harry's fault Ron left. But Hermione couldn't find room in her heart to hate the dark haired boy. She couldn't, now that he was all she had left. Ron was gone, and it was all Voldemort's fault! Clutching her fists angrily Hermione rose up from where she had collapsed, turning to look back at the tent. Harry was standing in the doorway, green eyes flashing now with something which resembled regret or guilt. But he didn't make a move to come closer, why should he? Yet even in the old, dirty tent, surrounded by woods and sorrow, Hermione and her lovers best friend had a wonderful night together. It eased her pain and suffering, and it felt so...right. •  
_  
Hermione sat up quickly in bed, eyes wide in abject horror as that night ran through her mind like a movie reel. A hand came to unconsciously hold her stomach, while the other came to run down her face, wiping away the sheen of sweat which had appeared on her brow. She couldn't see straight, everything was spinning as choked sobs escaped her throat,

"Nightmare?"

Hermione glanced up, seeing Rowena illuminated by the gentle glow of the dying fire. Her face was twisted into an expression of great concern, though remained gentle and fair,

"I...I don't know," Hermione croaked, running a hand through her sweaty locks as she pulled her knees to her chest, "everything is just so confusing now,"

"Helga Hufflepuff was a wise woman, Hermione. She always told the truth to her friends. I think you should too,"

Hermione chuckled lightly at that, leaning back against the headboard as she observed the portrait above the fireplace with tired eyes,

"You know, that's just what Professor McGonagall said?"

"Mm, she's a smart woman. Smart enough to be in my house. I'd take her advice,"

"Perhaps. Winky?"

There was a crack as the little house elf appeared by the bedside, bug eyes wide as she smiled brilliantly,

"Yes, missus?"

"Do you know any calming draughts that can go into bath water? Maybe even one to help get through...pregnancy?"

"Yes missus, I used one when Mrs. Crouch was having her child. Would you like one?"

"Yes please, Winky. Not too hot, though,"

The house elf nodded before disappearing into the adjoining bathroom, the sound of running water soothing to Hermione's headache as she slowly peeled back the sheets and stood. Poking the fire to raise the flames up again, Hermione sighed heavily and began to strip down. Tossing the clothes into a basket nearby, she held herself as she shivered in the darkness.  
 _'It's the middle of summer_ ,' Hermione thought, making her way towards the bathroom where billowing steam tempted her in, _'why is this house always so cold?'  
_  
"This should help, missus," Winky said, smiling slightly and motioning towards the water. Hermione nodded with acceptance and inhaled deeply, relishing in the sweet scent of vanilla pouring from the bath. Carefully, and with help of Winky's small hand, the 19 year old witch sunk down into the tub, groaning as her muscles loosened under the draught,

"Sweet Merlin," she breathed, eyes fluttering as she winced,

"'Tis alright, missus?"

"Heavenly," Hermione mumbled, letting her neck hang over the outside edge of the bath. Winky set to work almost immediately, appearing a basin as she began to filter the water through Hermione's long curls. The quiet was disrupted after a while by a slight knocking on the bedroom door,

"Hermione? It's Harry,"

"I'm in the tub, Harry!" Hermione called, inhaling deeply as Winky massaged her scalp. Soon enough, a figure was standing in the doorway, though was looking the other way,  
"Oh please, I'm completely covered,"

"R-right, sorry," Harry mumbled, flushing deeply as he took up the stool and sat by the edge of the tub. His eyes however were on Hermione's shoulder, where a deep, purple colored scar still stood out against her skin and disappeared into the water,

"Battle scars," Hermione practically whispered, twisting her arm to reveal her brand and lifting a lip ever so slightly, "just like yours, Harry,"

Hermione reached out said arm, barely brushing her friends dark bangs which hid his own disappearing scar. It had been vanishing slowly since the defeat of Voldemort, and was now nothing but a pink line,

"Yeah...battle scars," Harry mumbled, running a hand over his face and wincing as if he had been struck, "that night at the Ministry, it was all my fault. You almost died, you _could_ have died-

"Harry that was years ago-"

"But Hermione, you could have died-"

"Blimey, Harry. I could have died well before the Ministry! I knew dangers of getting involved in your life, that didn't stop me,"

Staring at the boy with narrowed eyes, Harry swallowed thickly and smiled, nodding his head,

"Right. You're stubborn as all hell, Granger,"

"Damn straight, Potter,"

Harry barked with happy laughter, leaning over his knee as he ran a hand through his long bangs. Hermione smiled too, unable to keep her eyes off the glowing face of her friend,

 _'I wish he would laugh more often,'_ she thought, knitting her eyebrows and shaking her mind to get rid of said thought, "so what did the Ministry want?"

"Ah, Kingsley wanted me there when he talked to the Weasley's,"

"Oh?" Hermione knitted her brows, looking at the ceiling of the bathroom, "how's Ron?"

"He's...ok?" Harry seemed to hesitate before answering, causing Hermione to turn her head slightly and look at him. He was a horrible liar, but she didn't really want to push the subject any farther, "he told me about an argument you guys had a few nights ago-"

"Argument?" It was Hermione's turn to be confused, sitting up fully in the tub as Winky finished with her hair and vanished, "we had argument?"

"Uh...yeah? That's what Ron said, he brought you tea apparently,"

"I...I don't remember having any kind of argument with Ron?"

"That git!" Harry growled, groaning heavily as he stood and turned, allowing Hermione to remove herself from the bath and cover herself with a towel,

"What happened at the Weasley's, Harry?"

"Nothing good, 'Mione. Are you feeling well enough to visit the Ministry tonight?"

Nodding slowly, Harry left the room in a flurry as Hermione looked after him in confusion. Shaking her head and exhaling, she let the towel drop around her ankles as Winky arrived with a change of clothes. However, Hermione couldn't help but glance at herself in the mirror, frowning at her scar and tracing it with a finger. It was long and a lovely shade of plum, extending from her right shoulder, down past her breasts and to the opposite hip. Hermione winced at the memory of her night at the Ministry, recalling the pain she had felt when the unknown spell knocked into her,

 _'That was years ago,_ ' she thought, ripping her eyes away from the reflection and gathering her clothing, ' _it's over_ ,'

Dressing quickly and caressing her stomach bump on her way out the door, Hermione hopped into her boots and picked up her wand. Saying goodbye to Rowena and Winky, she headed down the hall where Harry was waiting with her jumper. He still looked angry, with his jaw set (in a handsome manner) but he held it out and smiled stiffly. Rolling her eyes at his sudden chivalry, the couple left Grimmauld place arm in arm, illuminated by moonlight as they left the wards behind and side apparated to the Ministry. They arrived directly in Minister Shacklebolt's office. The dark man stood immediately upon their arrival, smiling brightly,

"Hello Harry, Hermione. I hope you're feeling better,"

Kingsley and Hermione embraced gently as she nodded,

"I'm feeling better then I was, thank you. But I don't think we're here for a friendly visit?"

Hermione turned to Harry, whose jaw was puckering slightly as he pulled out a chair,

"I think we'll all need to sit for this,"

"I have someone coming to hear about the investigation, if you don't mind, Harry? I think she could be a great help to us,"

Harry and Hermione both looked at each other, just as the door to the office opened and a familiar woman with doe eyes and blonde hair stepped into the room. She was practically beaming as Hermione hurried to her and grabbed her in a tight embrace. She knew Susan Bones worked somewhere in the Ministry, she had just never dropped by the Muggle-Born/Half-Blood department,

"Hi Hermione, Harry. I'm sorry about what happened to you and I'm here to represent the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in this investigation. We should get started, I'm sure none of us want to be here all night,"

Hermione released Susan as the whole group moved to sit. Kingsley took position behind his desk, while Harry leaned casually up against it, and Hermione and Susan sat in the two plush chairs office chairs. Susan herself had summoned up a note taking parchment and quill, and looked very professional in Ministry embroidered robes,  
 _'She takes after her aunt,'_ Hermione thought, declining the cup of tea Kingsley was offering her, ' _I feel slightly unimportant in such a prestigious group of people,'  
_  
Quirking a lip at that, Kingsley motioned to Harry,

"You have news for us, Harry?"

"Yes. I believe Ronald Weasley is the main culprit in Hermione's poisoning. I swear an oath on my magic,"

Harry held up his wand as he said this, the light flashing before he summoned a quick Patronus. Kingsley nodded his head, but Susan shook hers side to side,

"Do you have any real proof of this, Harry-I'm sorry, Auror Potter? We can't just go around accusing people willy nilly,"

"I don't have any physical proof of illegal Amortentia smuggling until the Auror's Administration can conduct a formal search without the interference of the Weasley Family. But I currently have three pensive memories which can be used in premeditated accusation,"

"And who are these memories stated by?"

"The first recount was from Ronald Weasley himself, when I talked to him today at the Burrow, the second was a confession by Ginny Weasley in the use of Amortentia in order to poison myself-"

"And do you wish to press charges?" Kingsley questioned, Hermione smiling as his face contorted into one of disgust. Probably at the thought of the extra paperwork he would have to complete. Harry shook his head,

"No Minister, I believe it was an honest mistake. The third pensive memory directly correlates with the first, as it is from Hermione herself. With her permission of course, I think we should take a pensive and compare both her and Ron's stories side by side,"

"Right then. Hermione-er-Miss Granger, you don't mind taking a pensive do you?"

All eyes were on her as the witch in question swallowed thickly and shook her head,

"No I don't mind,"

Hermione's heart sank at the thought of Ron doing something so awful to her. But then again...she couldn't quite tell what was real or not in her life anymore, and so she didn't fight as the memory - or lack thereof - was plucked and observed in scrutiny. She just wanted it to be over soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Her

Harry lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling of Grimmauld Place as the days events ran through his mind. They had been at the Ministry of Magic till almost midnight, reviewing the evidence for the informal arrest of Ronald Weasley. It had been agreed upon that Ronald's story of the days prior directly contradicted Hermione's memory of what actually happened, though it couldn't be confirmed until a pensive was taken directly from Ron once brought in for holding.  
Kingsley had assured Harry that Hermione's memory hadn't been tampered with by any witch or wizard, but by the Amortentia. Apparently, Hermione's vivacious control over her mind had been fighting against the positions effects, meaning they wouldn't last as long. This meant Ron had to dose her more often in order to receive the same effect,

"Humph, love really is a drug," Hermione mumbled during the meeting, though it was met with blank stares from everyone in the room. At one point, Kingsley had brought up that Ron hadn't intended to kill Hermione at all, though it wouldn't lessen his prison time as half the Ministry wanted to rip his head off for messing with one of their own. That brought a smile to Harry's lips,

 _'I'm glad Kingsley is turning the Ministry around,_ ' he thought, though the smile quickly fell as he thought about Hermione. She had been looking sickly since yesterday, and though she really had only just got over her ordeal, Harry wished she would return again to her normal coloring. As if this flicked some kind of trigger in his mind, Harry suddenly felt the need to get up and check on her. He was a bit alarmed at the sudden unexpected thought, though he had to admit that his instincts had been acting on overdrive since seeing her in the hospital. Leaving the bed and throwing a robe on over his night clothes, Harry exited his room and made his way across the hall, stopping outside Hermione's door to listen,

 _'It's not being creepy Harry if you're just... worried about her,'_ Harry told himself, trying to justify this odd feeling of attachment to his best friend. Obviously he was protective of her, even during school and on the run, but he had never been instinctual towards her. Summoning his courage, Harry slowly opened the door to the library-now-bedroom. The fireplace was blazing, casting an orange glow over everything. Thankfully, Hermione was in bed where she was supposed to be and looked to be sleeping soundly. Winky was in her personal basket by the nightstand, also sleeping under what Harry presumed was a silencing charm. The little girl elf had taken a liking to Hermione the minute she entered the house, and immediately insisted on staying with her. Harry didn't complain, as he felt better with her there anyway.  
Just as he was about to duck out of the room however, Hermione's small voice caught him off guard,

"Harry?"

It was barely a whisper, but in the quiet it sounded like a yelp. Blinking and turning around, Harry stared at the unmoving lump before the voice came again, "Harry?"

Realizing he was being addressed, Harry padded over to the side of the bed, seeing his friends eyes open. She had an odd expression on her face as Harry had the sudden urge to cradle her,

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked, lowering down to rest on the edge of the mattress. Hermione shifted now so she was sitting up on an elbow, caramel locks falling in silky tresses around her cheeks and hand. Harry immediately felt himself heat up,  
 _'She looks so beautiful by the firelight,_ '  
"Is...ahem...everything ok?"

Hermione cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow, the half asleep glaze never once leaving her eyes. It was a little bizarre, Harry decided, talking to her while she wasn't completely present,

"Why did you come, Harry?"

Harry blinked and cleared his throat again, unsure if his blush was showing in the firelight,  
"Harry. Why did you come?"

"I-I felt like I needed to," he finally answered, feeling a bit foolish at the illogical answer. She wasn't Voldemort or something, sending messages through his scar (thank Merlin), "it was like...a gut instinct,"

"That's funny," Hermione mumbled, looking off to the side and staring off a bit, "I was thinking I needed you,"

"Y-you were?" Harry sputtered, alarmed. This wasn't some kind of Death Eater trick was it?

"Yeah. But Harry, I don't-I don't love Ron anymore,"

"You really shouldn't if he was using Amortentia-"

"No...my mind keeps saying I should love him, we've gone through so much. I'm going to marry him,"

Harry's heart sank as his face puckered. Hermione was staring at the canopy of her four poster, eyebrows knitted in deep concentration,  
"But my heart is saying it's wrong. That _he's_ wrong. There's someone else now too...someone more important..."

Harry choked slightly on his own breath, staring at Hermione's face as she blinked slowly, a hand coming to rest on the blankets above her stomach. Harry sat confusedly, watching as the brown haired witch's breathing leveled out and she returned to sleep. Shaking his head in a daze of his own, Harry stood and adjusted the blankets, brushing a stray ringlet away from her face as he extinguished the fire in the hearth. Leaving the room, Harry closed the door softly and leaned up against it, staring into the drab and grey hallway of Grimmauld Place,  
 _'Did that just happen?_ ' Harry mentally questioned, giving up on sleeping all together as he headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, 'it was like she was dreaming, but...not. That was eerie,"

"Hey pup, shouldn't you be in bed?"

Harry looked up from his mug of black coffee, smiling at the portrait of Sirius hanging up at the other end of the table. He had been gone exploring other frames for a few weeks now, and must have only just returned,

"Hey Sirius. I'm guessing you know what happened since you've been gone?"

"Certainly, news travels fast in portraits. Is Hermione well?"

"I'm not sure, Sirius. She seems ok, but I just...feel like she's hiding from me. And I just had the oddest experience-"

Harry recounted his time in Hermione's room with as much detail as possible as Sirius rubbed his facial hair carefully. At the finish, the portrait looked contemplative,

"Well Harry, it seems to me Hermione is trying to tell you something, probably something she's too afraid to say to you while fully...er, conscious,"

"So I was talking to _Hermione_ , and not some kind of prophecy or anything?"

Sirius shook his head.

"I don't think so, Pup. It's probably been bothering her and she needed to get it off her chest. She won't remember what she told you tomorrow I'm sure, but she'll feel that something is different. What _I'm_ interested in is why you had a feeling she needed you,"

"It was the strangest thing, like a switch had been flicked on in my mind and I just had to go to her. It was never that way with Voldemort or any of my other friends-"

"Has this happened before? The instinctual feelings I mean?"

Harry thought hard, realizing that the feeling trailed back to their first year at Hogwarts. Harry had been the first person to remember Hermione was in the bathroom when the troll got loose, he had also been willing to pounce on it to protect her. He felt distraught when she was paralyzed by the Basilisk, and had been feeling ill the hours leading up to her discovery. Harry held Hermione tight that night in the forest while trying to save Sirius, and he had wanted to save her first when she was under the Black Lake during the Tri-Wizard tournament. Then the Ministry happened, and he could practically feel her pain when she was struck down by an unknown spell that night, which left a plum colored scar. He had comforted her through their final year at Hogwarts, and he felt the need to relieve her pain that year on the run with his body. It was always Hermione. Not Ron, not anyone else. It was always her.

"Bloody hell," Harry breathed, sitting back against his chair as Sirius chuckled,

"I think you have it now, Pup,"

"But that can't be. She's in love with Ron. She said so tonight, while I was talking to her,"

"No Harry, she _thinks_ she's in love with Ron. Amortentia is a very powerful poison, and it seeps deep into the mind. In time, she will come to realize it too. I'm sure she already does somewhat, though at the moment I do believe she is guarding herself until she knows for sure,"

"You mean to tell me that Hermione loves me?"

Harry's jaw hit the floor at the thought, causing Sirius to shrug his shoulders slightly,

"I can't tell you that for sure, Pup. All I know - and never take a portraits word - is that you have a very profound connection with this young woman. For what reasons I can't say, but I think in time, you might understand them as much as young Ms. Granger does,"

"Right. Right, love might not be it. It's probably not love. Thanks for the chat Sirius, I should probably try and sleep. Busy day tomorrow,"

"Alright Pup. Goodnight,"

Harry placed his mug in the sink and returned to his bedroom tiredly, collapsing down onto the sheets and pulling them around himself. Unfortunately, despite his exhaustion, sleep didn't come,

• _"But my heart is saying it's wrong. That he's wrong. There's someone else now too...someone more important..." •  
_  
Harry turned in his bed, trying to shut off his thoughts, only to fail and relent again,

• _"There's someone else now too...someone more important..." - a hand coming to rest on the blankets above her stomach_ •

It was all so clear so suddenly Harry's eyes snapped open as he sat up in bed and slumped forward with his mouth hanging open.

 _'Holy Cricket!'_


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione woke late in the morning, the warm summer sun pouring onto her face from the windows. Yawning with a small smile and sitting up, Hermione's eyebrows knitted together slightly as she glanced around the bedroom. Winky was gone from her basket, but everything else seemed to be in it's proper place,  
 _'So why do I feel like something is different?'  
_  
Removing herself from the bed, Hermione had to dart quickly into the bathroom to avoid the usual morning sickness which was now a daily part of her routine. After emptying herself over the loo, however, she felt significantly better then she had the day before. Measuring her growing bump in the mirror while brushing her hair and teeth, Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly as she pulled her curls into a messy bun. They only fell a little ways past her shoulders now, and Hermione was relieved that the bush had started deflating into silky curls during her 5th year at Hogwarts. The dark almond strands lightened as well, though Hermione suspected that was something more to do with the shampoo she had been using.  
Patting her belly affectionately before leaving the room, Winky was setting a nice red t-shirt, jeans and leather jumper on the bed,

"Good morning, Winky," the witch sighed, once again yawning as the little elf smiled happily,

"Hello, missus. Dobby has asked you down to breakfast after dressing,"

"Of course. Is Harry still sleeping?"

"No missus, Mr. Potter has gone away. Emergency Ministry business he says,"

Hermione frowned a bit at that but nodded her head anyway, stripping from her nightclothes and into the daywear as Winky tossed the pajamas into the nearby hamper,

"Did he say when he'd be back?"

"No missus, but he says he's sorry for missing you's. And that he'll make it up,"

"I see. Well ok, can you tell Dobby I'll be down in a moment?"

Winky nodded happily and disappeared with a poof, leaving Hermione to dress in silence. Her eyes were drawn to Rowena's portrait, where a figure was just walking back into the frame,  
"Rowena, you didn't...see anything funny last night, did you?"

The woman in the picture shook her head as she summoned a chair and sat down heavily,

"I'm afraid not, my dear. I've been out of my frame since midnight, hunting for that beast of a painting, Padfoot. He was tracking mud all through the house pictures when he got home last night,"

"Sirius has a painting?" Hermione questioned, picking up her wand from the nightstand and fingering it. Rowena nodded as she removed her shoes,

"Yes dear, in the kitchen. He's been traveling around these past weeks apparently but returned last night, the mutt. I had a terse talking-to with him before sunrise,"

Hermione giggled slightly, imagining the look on Sirius's face as he was chided by one of Hogwart's founders. Nodding her head, the girl sighed,  
"Is something bothering you this morning, Hermione?" Rowena questioned, massaging the bottoms of her feet as Hermione leaned against one of the posts of her bed,

"I don't really know. I just woke up and something feels...different? I can't put a finger on it,"

"Hmm, that is strange. Well, I'm sure the answer will come in time. You should probably go down and eat, you're looking a bit gaunt,"

Hermione nodded, smiled and thanked the wise painting before leaving the room. Closing the door softly behind her, she padded into the kitchen where Dobby and Kreature were working on a large breakfast, and Winky was setting plates,

"I hope you don't mind, Missus Granger, but Harry Potter asked that the elves eat with you this morning," Dobby said with a smile, walking around the kitchen on his wooden leg as Hermione frowned at the memory. It was still a bit fuzzy as she had been recovering from her own bout with Bellatrix and the Cruciatus, but a little higher and the knife would have punctured Dobby's middle. He had been in so much pain that Fleur had to cast a sleeping spell on him in order to sew up the little creature's limb. Hermione suddenly had the urge to apologize, but was knocked off her train of thought by a familiar voice,

"Well if it isn't the brightest witch of her age!"

Beaming from ear to ear, Hermione left the elves to their work as she approached Sirius's portrait. He was very dashing in a fine navy suit, and looked the same as when Hermione had seen him last,

"Hello Sirius. You look fine this morning,"

Sirius beamed proudly at that, straightening his collar with both hands,

"You do know how to charm a man, Hermione. How are you feeling? I heard what happened and, if you can't tell, I'm furious,"

Hermione chuckled and nodded her head, folding her hands before her legs as she rocked back and forth on her heels,

"Better than I was, I suppose. It's still a bit of a shock considering the circumstances. Luckily Harry is more than willing to let me stay here until this mess blows over. I actually feel like I'm taking advantage of his hospitality-"

"Nonsense, girl! You're his _best friend_ , Harry would do anything for you,"

"I guess that's true, but I really should be getting back on my own two feet soon. I'd like to find my own little flat in London, maybe try for a promotion at the Ministry?"

"Ah, always so ambitious, Hermione. That's very Slytherin of you,"

"Oh stop it," Hermione stated, flushing a bit red as Dobby announced that breakfast was ready. Smiling at the painting, Hermione took her seat as a plate of food was levitated towards her,

"Oh cruel world. No longer can I enjoy the luxury of food!"

Sirius dramatically fell into a summoned chair as Hermione giggled at his antics, enjoying her meal with two elves (minus Kreature who refused to eat with a Mudblood) and a portrait and savored the tasty meal Dobby provided. When it was done, she insisted on cleaning the plates, while the Elves helped to dry and put away. The task was quick, and soon enough, Hermione found herself sitting on the sofa in the parlor, skimming a book she had borrowed from one of the shelves in her room. The peace didn't last long though, as a familiar looking, scrawny brown owl practically smacked into the window with a note. Wincing at the awful landing, Hermione opened the pane and helped the owl up,

"Hello Pigwidgeon," she greeted. Though the hyperactive bird used to belong to her ex, Hermione knew this letter was not from him as he had given the animal to Ginny, as Ron 'didn't want it' after graduation. Feeding the small bird some crumbs from breakfast while she read the note, Hermione couldn't help but smile,

 _'Dear Hermione,_

 _Harry gave me permission to send this letter in secret so no one else will no where you are. Though I think Ron is getting suspicious. Anyway, would you like to come to London with me? I'm actually standing across the street if the answer is yes since Pig can't fly that far. I think we need talk._

 _-3 Ginny'  
_  
Glancing out the window, Hermione could see the redhead sitting on a bench, reading what looked to be a Quidditch magazine. Smiling and grabbing her purse and jumper, Hermione yelled a goodbye to the elves before scooping up Pig and exiting the house. Walking across the street, Ginny's magazine was forgotten as she ran to hug her best friend, tears in her eyes,

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry I didn't know!"

Hermione held Ginny as she sobbed into her shoulder, smiling at the comfort it brought, as the redhead wailed. Hermione had hoped Ginny had nothing to do with this malicious plot, and was so relieved when she didn't,

"Gin it's ok, I'm ok. See? Now come on, I really need to talk to you,"

Taking Ginny's hand, the two of them apparated into Muggle London, sitting down at a small sidewalk cafe where Hermione had once gone with her parents. Sitting Ginny down, she couldn't help but spill everything. Including the pregnancy,

"That little git," Ginny steamed, stirring her cup of coffee rapidly as Hermione sat back and nibbled on a raspberry scone, "using a love potion to get my best friend pregnant-"

"Ginny,"

The redhead turned at her friend's voice, the red in her face turning to white as she looked upon the expression on her face. Hermione looked guilty and pained, and she wasn't hiding it at all. Putting the pieces together in her head, Ginny's jaw fell open,  
"...the baby isn't Ron's?"

Hermione glanced around before nodding, a smile slipping onto her lips as Ginny's anger turned into overflowing happiness,

"Oh thank Merlin. Uh...who-?"

"It's... _his_ ,"

Hermione didn't even have to say Harry's name for Ginny to understand. However instead of expected anger, a look of light humor and relief passed onto the Weasley's face,

"Well...I always knew it would happen eventually,"

"What?" Hermione stuttered, lifting an eyebrow, "you're not mad?"

Ginny shook her head quickly,

"Hermione, do you know why Harry and I's relationship didn't work out?"

"You were crushing on Neville, weren't you?"

"Well yes. But there's something else too. I _was_ in love with Harry, but even with that bit of love potion I used on him - really guilty by the way - there was something keeping him from loving me. It was like a buffer of some kind-"

"Are you sure that wasn't just Harry's horcrux?"

Ginny shook her head again, pushing her short red hair behind one ear as she took a sip of her drink,

"No. Harry loved me, Hermione, he did. But he loved someone else more. That's what kept our relationship apart. He had already given his heart to someone else,"

"Oh," Hermione blinked, looking at her scone which was now a small bit of crust in her hand, "did you ever find out who it was? It was probably Cho-"

"For the brightest witch of her age, Hermione, you can be pretty dense,"

Ginny was practically snorting up her coffee as Hermione looked at her,  
 _'She can't possibly mean me,_ ' the 19 year old witch thought, a blush dusting her cheeks and neck as Ginny set her coffee down as to not spill it, _'Ginny can't mean me! Bookworm! Know it all! Beaver teeth. Never in a million years-'_

"Hermione, honestly. You got that boy whipped,"

After a long time playfully arguing about Harry's affections, Hermione decided it was time to return to Grimmauld Place. Hugging Ginny tight and promising to write, she waved goodbye as the redhead apparated away. Turning on a heel and unlocking the door to Harry's home, Hermione noticed the eerie silence in the house,

"Harry? Dobby, Winky, Kreature?"

Dropping her things by the door, Hermione made her way into the house, only to scream and choke as an arm was wrapped around her neck from behind, and her wand fell from her sleeve with a clatter,

"Don't worry dearie," Molly Weasley whispered, dragging the girl towards the study as someone closed the doors behind them, "this'll only take a minute now. Stupefy,"

Hermione yelped slightly as the flash of sapphire hit her head, and everything went dark.


	10. AN

**A/N: Hey everybody. Sorry this isn't an actual update, but I'm asking for some advice on the future of this story from my readers! Currently, I am debating ending this story with Chapter 10 and an Epilogue, HOWEVER I'd like to hear from you all about what you want to read. I currently have three options which I'd like ya'll to comment on,**

 **1.) I end this story where it is completely. This would mean there would be no other updates on it, and it would be labeled as COMPLETE.**

 **2.) I continue on with this story as is, and update till I feel an ending is necessary. This means I would progress farther under this story name, and the story will remain incomplete until further notice.**

 **OR**

 **3.) I end this story as its own, so it would be labeled COMPLETE in the story bar. BUT I would write it's sequel, Life With The Potters, as its own separate entity. I would go into depth on the pregnancy and life with Hermione and Harry together as a couple, and I would go into the Weasley's trials and try to add some more characters like Luna & Neville ect. ect. **

**I'd like all of your opinions on this matter as it's very important to the progression of this story. Anyway, please comment your ideas! And one more question before you leave, what gender should Hermione's baby be? Girl or Boy? Twins. Other? Let me know and thank you so much for reading!**

 **3 Rose**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your helpful comments! I've decided that I'm going to try and write a sequel. Because this is all new to me, I won't label this story as COMPLETE until I know for sure that the Sequel is going well enough for me to post it separately. Trust me, it's not ending quite yet. I'll keep y'all posted, and enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 10: Strange Magic

Harry was in his office before first light, furiously flipping through every Ministry parchment and journal he could get his hands on. His green eyes were wild and furious as he practically swam around his desk in a mess of paperwork and leather, searching desperately for anything on 'pregnancy via Amortentia',

 _'I can't believe I thought that useless prat was my best friend,'_ Harry thought angrily, shifting through some more levels of parchment with a flick of his wand, ' _there has to be something here. I'll give that sicko a lifetime in Azkaban for this! Hell, I might just go kill him myself. Using a potion to get a girl pregnant, god, poor Hermione,'_

Harry collapsed down into his office chair, immediately thinking back to his one and only best friend. Everything made sense now. Her tiredness and ill feelings, her weight gain, the doctors visits, everything! The brightest witch of her age was with child, and Harry had no idea until now!

 _'No wonder she tried to keep it from me,_ ' Harry thought, setting his jaw at the mere thought of Ronald Weasley, _'he got her pregnant. He violated her, god damn it!'_

Clenching his fists and slamming them down against the desktop, the entire Ministry seemed to rattle with Harry's rage,

"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!"

"Harry Potter!" The office door slammed open, revealing the purple robes of the Minister for Magic himself, Kingsley Shacklebolt. His face was contorted into distress and slight irritation as Harry fell back down into his chair, heaving in deep breaths as he glowered at nothing in particular. If looks could kill from a distance, Ron would no doubt be dead all the way in Ottery St. Catchpole, "what is going on in here?"

"He's an insufferable little git, Kingsley! I want that bastard dead!"

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

"Hermione's pregnant!"

A heavy silence fell over the room as Harry's hatred seemed to silently pour off him in waves, and Kingsley stood shell shocked,

"She's...what?"

"Pregnant, Kingsley. Hermione is with child,"

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as the dark skinned Minister fell into a chair as well, eyes wide as he inhaled shakily,

"And you think-?"

"I want him dead," Harry growled darkly, clenching his fists and teeth. Deep in his mind though, something else was nagging at him. A memory which desperately wanted to come to the surface, but was pushed back by Harry's consciousness as he focused his anger on the youngest male Weasley. _'That bastard will pay for hurting her,'_

Swallowing thickly, Kingsley shook his head and held up both hands,

"Your anger is understandable, Harry. I have already sent a team of Auror's to collect the young man for questioning-"

"He deserves the Kiss for something like this-"

"Potter, your anger is righteous. But it will do nothing to help Hermione. You must keep your head here, as Ronald still believes you are on his side-"

"But I'm not. Let me at him, Kingsley, he will _never_ breathe again-"

"Harry, get a grip on yourself!" Kingsley snapped, shutting the young man up as the Minister sat forward, "getting yourself thrown in Azkaban for murder isn't going to help anything. Besides, I might just kill the Weasley myself. Hermione is like the daughter I never had,"

Sighing heavily and nodding his head, the anger subsided into a hazy fog as Harry rubbed the slight stubble forming on his chin. He left Hermione alone this morning with the elves,

"I should have been there for her," Harry mumbled out loud, "I left her a note and came here the minute I realized..."

"Hermione is a strong girl, Harry. I know you want to protect her from the world. But right now, we need to find the person who did this-"

Just then, the door to Harry's office was thrown open and a group of three Auror's entered. All of them were covered in mud from head to toe, and all three of them looked to be in a frenzy. Standing along side his charge, Harry walked next to Kingsley who was looking between the three carefully,

"What has happened?"

"He's gone, Minister. Both of them. The girl had been stunned and we sent her to St. Mungo's, but the other two are missing,"

"Bloody hell," Harry breathed, running a hand over his face, "Ron's on to us,"

"I don't think it's Ron, Harry," one of the Auror's, Tawney, stated. "The stunner was powerful, probably from an older caster-"

"Molly was in on it then," Harry mumbled, eyes narrowing as he thought about the actions of the woman he thought of as a mother, "she defeated Bellatrix during the battle. No doubt Ginny walked in on something she wasn't supposed to. Molly panicked and stunned her,"

"Her own daughter?" Kingsley questioned, "we cannot jump to conclusions. I want all Floo networks and Apparation zones monitored as of right now-"

"It's already done sir. We notified the Ministry the minute we found the Weasley's missing,"

"Good work. Where would they go?"

Harry pursed his lips. Shell Cottage? No too remote if Molly had some kind of plan. The Leaky Cauldron? No, too obvious. So where else...

"Hermione!" Harry looked to the team of people in the office before apparating away, landing across the street from Grummauld Place where the wards were rippling angrily,

' _Molly took Ron to Hogwarts and used the Floo in Dumbledore's - now Minerva's - office. It's untraceable by the Ministry and has a direct connection to Grimmauld Place since it's still the active meeting place of the Order. How can I be so stupid!'_

Breathing heavily and pounding towards the door, Harry practically kicked it down as he appeared in the entry hall. Dobby was slowly rising from where he had obviously been stunned down beside Winky and Kreature. They had probably tried to protect the house but were over-powered by two strong wizards,

"Dobby, where's Hermione?"

"...study...Harry Potter, sir. Danger..."

"Rest now, Dobby. Let down the wards to let Kingsley and the Auror's in!"

Turning on a heel, Harry pulled his wand and hurried towards the study. On the floor outside the door was Hermione's wand, kicked off to the side beside a broken vase,

 _'She struggled_ ,' Harry thought, leaning towards the door before casting a silent ' _alohamora_ ,' on the knob. Similar to the front door, Harry practically kicked it in, barely dodging the ' _stupefy_ ' aimed right for his head,

"Molly!" Harry growled, crouching in a ready position on the floor as the readheaded woman stared at him before her face filled with false sweetness,

"Harry dear, you arrived just in time. Hermione is very ill-"

Glancing behind her, Harry fumed at the sight of Hermione in Ron's arms, unconscious as he slowly dripped mother of pearl colored liquid into her mouth,

"Oh come off it, Weasley. I know what you did, what you both have done!"

"Harry you don't understand," Molly stared, though she didn't lower her wand, just as Harry didn't lower his, "Hermione is in love with my boy. Poor Ginny, she wanted too marry you too. But unlike Ron here, she didn't have the guts to do what needed to be done,"

"Is this some kind of sick bonding ritual for you!" Harry sneered, lifting a lip at the mere idea, "forcing a woman to love against her will!?"

"It's not just women, Harry, dear. Arthur fell in love with me...with a bit of help of course,"

"You harpy! _Stupefy_!"

" _Protego_! Harry come on now, you don't want to fight me,"

"You're right. I want to _kill_ you!"

Molly quickly got out of the way as Harry cast several charms towards her, ducking down beside her son as she shoved him forward,

"Protect your mother, Ronald. I'll deal with the girl,"

Stumbling forward, Ron pulled out his wand, only to yelp in panic as Harry immediately disarmed him and snapped it against his knee. Eyes wide, the boy held up his hands,

"C'mon mate, this is crazy. I'm trying to save my fiancé-"

"You almost killed your fiancé, you bloody git. Get away from her! _Stupefy_!"

Ron yelped again as he flew backwards into the nearby desk, falling to the floor unconscious as Harry aimed at Molly. Just as she raised her wand, a spell flew from behind, causing Harry to whip around,

"We got them, Harry. Help Hermione!" Kingsley stated, waving to his Aurors who flooded the room. Nodding and swallowing thickly, Harry went to the unconscious woman, cradling her gently in his arms. A small drop of Amortentia was dribbling from the side of her mouth, and her breathing was long and tired.

 _'I failed her again,'_ Harry thought, brushing Hermione's caramel locks away from her face with a gentle hand, watching over her protectively as both Molly and Ron were hauled to their feet by Auror's, _'I can't believe either of them would do this,'_

Hauling Hermione into his arms, Harry glowered at the Weasley's as he passed by them,

"I'm sorry mate," Ron croaked, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. Harry stopped for only a moment, but no longer saw a friend in Ronald. Glowering darkly, he held Hermione a bit closer to his chest,

"Go to hell,"

Leaving the room as the Auror's and Kingsley apparated back to the Ministry with their charges, Harry gently lay Hermione down in her bed, seeing three elf heads pop up on the other side,

"Will the missus be alright?" Winky asked, reaching up over the comforter to hold Hermione's hand in her own. Shaking his head, Harry turned to Rowena with pleading eyes,

"Does this mean she'll love _him_ again?" Harry asked, frowning. Even if the Amortentia could be removed like before, he didn't want her to go through that stress again. Especially with... _a baby_ , now to think about,

"We'll know when she awakens. The potion may not be enough to sway her now," the portrait said softly, "you care for her very much, don't you Harry Potter?"

Swallowing thickly, Harry nodded his head,

"No. _I love her._ I love her more then I can even understand. All those years spent fighting Voldemort together...I failed her, I _keep_ failing her-"

"You didn't fail me, Harry,"

The voice didn't belong to Rowena as Harry turned his head, seeing brown doe eyes on him. Hermione.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Mia. How are you feeling-?"

Harry was cut off abruptly as soft lips encompassed his own. Hermione was kissing him. Actually kissing him! It wasn't forced like it was with Ginny, or wet and sloppy like it was with Cho. No, this was perfect. And to Harry, it felt so _right_. Pulling away after a long and passionate snogging, Hermione smiled weakly,

"Harry, I need to tell you something-"

"You don't have to say anything Mione, I already know,"

The woman on the bed cocked her head to one side as she smiled crookedly, the girlish gleam returning to her eyes,

"You do?"

Harry looked guilty for a moment and flushed, nodding his head,

"Yeah. And trust me, Ron is going to get the Kiss for-,"

"Harry, the baby doesn't belong to Ron,"

Stopping mid sentence, Harry's jaw remained unhooked as the woman he loved sat up on an elbow, biting her lip nervously as she set a hand on her stomach and glanced at him,

"The baby is yours,"

Harry Potter was the Man-Who-Conquered. He defeated Voldemort at least 4 times, warded off hundreds of Dementors with a single Patronus, and picked off and arrested more Death Eaters then he could count. But on this night, in the presence of three house elves, a portrait and the woman he loved, Harry Potter fainted on the spot. He no longer feared death, oh no, he feared something so much worse (and in some cases, better),

Being a new father.


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue: Together

The pain was unbearable. Hermione felt herself contracting, screaming in discomfort as she screwed her eyes shut tightly. Ginny had only just managed to get her to St. Mungo's before the pain really kicked up a notch. The baby was unexpected already, but finding out you were having twins was a whole lot worse,

"Alright, ok, Hermione you need to breath deep," Ginny stated, her face as red as her hair from nerves as a nurse handed her a blue Hospital scrub to swear over her clothes, "I've never done this before - have you read anything?"

"What?" Hermione squawked, eyes wide as another roll of pain came over her again, causing another frustrated scream to rip from her throat, "the books said pain," she managed to rasp, "a lot of pain,"

"R-right well, try and think of something else,"

Hermione couldn't keep back her snort as Ginny was more nervous then she was at the moment. Her face had gone from red to pale in a matter of seconds, and she looked as if she'd faint any minute,

"Where. Is. My. Husband?"

Hermione's words came out separated as she breathed heavily, clutching the sides of her floating cot as the nurses and doctors readied around her. If she was remembering correctly - despite the fact that she was more or less focused on having twins - Magic was never used during pregnancies. It's the one thing which the Wizarding World and the Muggle World had in common. Clenching her eyes shut, she could hear Ginny speaking to her,

"The hospital called him but he wasn't home-"

"WHAT!" Hermione felt irritated, clutching her hands out of anger as she ground her teeth to groan again, "everyone is here but my own husband?"

"Well he's not your husband yet-"

"Ginny!"

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Dobby said he was doing something at the Ministry today, and that he was going to fetch him-"

Hermione scoffed amidst her pains and managed to roll her eyes. Count on Harry Potter to be working on a day like today.

Just then, the door opened and Dr. Todd entered. On his hands we're latex gloves and his mouth was hidden behind a mask,

"I didn't know you...specialized in birthing methods, Dr. Todd?" Hermione heaved, lifting a brow as the man chuckled from behind his mask and took up a position on a rolling stool,

"What can I say, Ms. Granger, I'm a man of many trades. Now, I say we get started,"

(Meanwhile)

"IT'S HAPPENING!"

Harry Potter's voice rang out through the Ministry as he physically ran towards Minister Shacklebolt's office, kicking the door open and startling the man, "Kingsley, its happening. It's happening right now!"

"Hermione-?"

"Yes, yes! Please tell me you have all the paperwork ready? And...and the other thing?"

Kingsley gathered up a file into his arms and tossed a black box to Harry, while also snatching a black leather book off his nearby bookshelf,

"Lets go, before that woman kills you for not being there. When did she start?"

"I don't know, Dobby just said he had a hard time finding me since I was in the Curse Breaking department, asking for some favors. He told me the news then left to ready Grimmauld Place-"

"Well lets not waste time then,"

Harry nodded and touched Kingsley's elbow as they apparated into the lobby of St. Mungos. Harry himself hadn't been this excited since he learned about being a wizard! It was finally happening, after all the pain and death. He was going to have a family! A _real_ family with the woman he loved. After several spit-fire questions to the receptionist, Harry and Kingsley made it to the third floor of the Hospital and were astonished at how many people had gotten the news of the pregnancy. Luna and Neville were there, as well as Fleur and Bill, George, Arthur and Ginny who was the only one standing. Upon seeing him, Harry almost had the feeling she was going to punch in his face as she pounded in his direction,

"You bloody idiot!" She seethed, "being late for something as important as this! Hermione was absolutely furious. I swear if she doesn't clobber you when she's done-"

"I didn't miss it, did I? Please tell me I didn't miss it?"

Harry's heart sunk at the mere thought,

' _I'm not going to fail her again. No, I'm here now and I'm going to stay here until we all walk out of this Hospital together,'_

"No Harry, you didn't miss it," Ginny sighed, placing a heavy hand on Harry's shoulder as her anger subsided, "they just kicked me out to finish up in a quieter environment-"

"'Ermione vill be very tired vhen she is done. Itz exhausting," Fleur stated with a small smile, standing to embrace Harry comfortingly, "itz vill all be fine. Oui?"

"Yeah, thanks Fleur," Harry sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, "I'm just nervous,"

"It's takes a while to get used to being a new dad, Harry," Neville stated, bouncing the blonde haired Junior on his knee as Luna read her Quibbler quietly beside him, "especially with twins,"

"Oi, hopefully they take after Fred and I, eh? Future entrepreneurs mate," George laughed lightly, scooting over for Ginny to plop back down beside him as Harry chose to pace the floor. Kingsley had taken up a position against the far wall and was reading his little black book intensely, while the rest of the group fell into soft chatter. Harry's lower lip was practically chewed off when the door to the room finally opened and Dr. Todd stepped out,

"Ah Harry, glad you made it,"

"Only good news, I hope, Todd?" Arthur spoke up from behind, stopping Harry from stumbling over his words as the doctor lowered the mask from his face with a beaming smile,

"I'm glad to say that both twins were delivered with little trouble. Ms. Granger came very prepared, despite her circumstances,"

 _'That's my girl,'_ Harry thought with a smile, exhaling deeply as Todd nodded towards the door,

"You first Mr. Potter,"

"Right. Kingsley, I'll be back in a few minutes,"

Nodding his head, the Minister waved a hand as Harry walked into the room behind Todd. Nurses were just finishing cleaning up, and as Harry entered, a soft cry reached his ears. Hermione was in the hospital bed looking exhausted, but she was sitting up and holding a small pink bundle in her arms. Nearby, a nurse was holding a small blue one,

"It's all real," Harry breathed, causing Hermione to look up at him with the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her since the war. She looked beautiful,

"Harry James, you're late," she stated, "I thought you'd forgotten?"

"Never love," Harry mumbled, looking at the nurse bewilderedly as she silently approached him with the infant. Carefully and wordlessly she passed...him, it was a boy, over. Relishing in the peaceful moment, Harry smiled broadly. His son, "this one'll be superior at Quidditch," Harry said surely, causing Hermione to chuckle, "he'll be a Seeker,"

"Ah, this one will get her high marks. Maybe even show up her brother on the Pitch?"

Harry laughed as well, sinking down onto the bed to look at the little girl in her mothers arms. To his surprise, she had a small mark at the corner of one eye. Glancing at his son, Harry saw the same mark. Both of them looked like small hearts,

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time to get the names down on record," Todd stated quietly, floating a pen and parchment as the new parents glanced at one another. Hermione went first,

"This one is Emma Rose,"

Todd took note while Harry pondered,

"And this little man is Daniel James,"

Harry smiled again as Hermione looked at him in bewilderment and love,

"That's my fathers name Harry," she croaked, with tears in her eyes,

"I know how much your parents meant to you. I want this boy to be named after two of the proudest fathers on the planet,"

"You're so sappy, Harry,"

Smiling broadly, Harry glanced up as Kingsley slowly entered the room. Soon, everyone from outside was sitting around quietly. Looking up, Hermione lifted a brow, "you've planned something, haven't you?"

"I know it's not the most romantic setting, but I just couldn't wait. Not after everything we've been through. Ginny?"

The redhead nodded happily and stood, appearing a white veil in her hands as she lowered it carefully onto Hermione's head. Standing back, Kingsley opened his little black book,

"Here today, we are to witness the eternal bonding of Harry James Potter and Hermione Jean Granger. If anyone objects to the matrimony of these two people, please say 'I Object',"

Harry almost thought Ron would burst in objecting the ceremony, but nothing happened as he sighed deeply with relief and turned back to his girlfriend-now fiancé-soon to be wife,

"Do you have the rings?"

Harry nodded his head and carefully handed Daniel James to Fluer as he removed the rings from inside his pocket and got down on one knee beside the bed. Careful not to jostle Emma Rose, Harry slipped a silver and red diamond engagement ring, as well as an unending gold band onto his fiancés correct finger,

"Harry they're lovely,"

"From the Potter family vault. My...mother, wore that. And now I'm proud that you're wearing it,"

"Brilliant," Hermione whispered, listening intently to Kingsley as he spoke the correct lines. Finally, it came down to the final step,

"Hermione Jean Granger, do you take Harry Potter as your husband?"

Hermione nodded her head,

"I do,"

"And do you, Harry James Potter, take Hermione Granger as your wife,"

Harry nodded as well, carefully taking his son from Fleur as Kingsley shut is small book,

"Then with the power invested in me, and with appropriate paperwork from the Ministry, I now pronounce you man, and wife. You may kiss the bride,"

Smiling at one another, Harry slowly stood and leaned down, pressing his lips against Hermione's as everyone in the room clapped softly. Sitting back down, Hermione's eyes were fluttering with exhaustion as she tapped the end of Emma's nose with a finger,

"I love you, Harry..." she whispered, allowing Ginny to take the little girl in her arms as she smiled and Harry leaned in to his her again as she drifted off,

"I love you too, Hermione Jean Potter,"

[The • End]

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who read this story! I'm so excited to finally have one (kinda) done on my profile! Keep a look out for this story's sequel, 'Life With The Potters' coming out soon! I love you all!**

 **-Rose**


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